Welsh Secretary to determine future for Snowdonia National Park nuclear dump

16 December 1998

The Council for National Parks has welcomed an announcement by the Secretary of State for Wales that he will determine the future of the former Trawsfynydd nuclear power station in the Snowdonia National Park.

In September, the Council for National Parks was at the forefront of calls for a public inquiry to enable full public scrutiny of the proposals to establish a 135 year nuclear dump at the site.  The Secretary of State's "call-in" could now lead to a public inquiry being held.

A nuclear power station was built at Trawsfynydd in the Snowdonia National Park in the 1950s.  It generated power for only 28 years before closing in 1993. Nuclear company Magnox Electric wants to leave the radioactive core of the nuclear reactor on site for the next 135 years and to continue to store nuclear waste on site.  It says that what it is calling a 'safestore' is the only option - environmentalists want all the alternatives thoroughly explored at a public inquiry.

CNP's Director of Welsh Policy Ruth Chambers said: 'A public inquiry into plans to dismantle Trawsfynydd nuclear power station is the best way to explore all the options.  It would provide a real opportunity to find the best possible environmental option and the one that would be best for the National Park, the people that live there and the millions of people that visit it each year'.

'What happens will set an important precedent as there are 13 other nuclear power stations waiting in the wings to be dismantled.  There is a huge opportunity here for Wales and in particular the Snowdonia National Park to act as a model of best environmental practice for the future'.

For press queries please contact:
Ruth Chambers, Head of Policy on
020 7924 4077 ext. 222