Penarth Town Council has compiled a Motion on proposals for the controversial dumping of the second load of radioactive sediment in the sea near Penarth beach.

The plans have received widespread backlash from locals and the general public.

The Mayor of Penarth, Cllr Angela Thomas, said: ''As the town mayor and first citizen, given the time constraints of the NRW Hinkley Mud consultation ending on the 18th March, it was important that the PTC pass a motion to address Penarth residents concerns.

''That PTC publicly engages and responds to the NRW consultation, on behalf of the town on such an important issue.

''Residents and environmental groups have many questions and concerns which need to be addressed, so we invite NRW to hold a public meeting as part of their consultation.

''The PTC welcomes the upcoming announcement by Mark Drakeford on the formation of an expert group, and we look forward to being appraised of the proceedings.''

Notice of Motion:

''That the Council recognises the strong public concern and strength of feeling by Penarth residents, over the safety of the sediment being dredged and transported from Hinckley C Nuclear power station. The proposed new dredging of a much larger 780,000 tonnes to be taken at more depth, is to be dumped at Cardiff grounds, just off Penarth Beach in the Severn Estuary.

''We ask NRW/EDF, as part of their six-week public consultation to improve on the previous public consultation and ask for a more robust engagement with the Public.

''We request that a public consultation event be held in Penarth, whereby, there would be a 20-minute plenary section, where members of the public can pose questions about proposals, to reassure them regarding their reservations on this issue.

''The Penarth Town Council would like to invite NRW and EDF to undertake a presentation to Town Council so that Penarth, Vale and Town Council can ask questions regarding the new licence application.

''We ask that as part of their consultation, that baseline readings of the estuary are taken by an independent international body. These baselines readings should include the sediment at the depth to be excavated. These tests should include alpha spectrometry and chemical toxicity assessments, before the commencement of dredging.

''This would go a long way in reassuring the public that the sediment is safe for the environment, and poses no risk to public health in the long term.''

The Motion was passed unanimously and it's being sent out to local MPs, environmental groups, Vale of Glamorgan Council, Mark Drakeford, NRW and EDF.

EDF Energy previously disposed of waste at the same point in 2018.

The company are in discussion with Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and are proposing to dump a further 600,000 m3 of material in 2021.

''We've started pre-application discussions with EDF Energy about a new marine licence application to enable them to dispose of dredged material from the Bristol Channel into an established designated disposal site (Cardiff Grounds) off the coast of Cardiff, South Wales.

The source of the sediment is from the construction site of the Hinkley Point C power station off the Somerset coast in England.

EDF previously dredged and disposed of sediment in 2018 and now plans further work at the site in early 2021 to dredge and dispose a further 600,000m3.

NRW said: ''The testing of the sediment, before its disposal in 2018, showed it contained only a very small amount of radioactivity which was well within legal limits and therefore suitable for disposal at sea.

''We will ensure all the necessary assessments are carried out before any dredging or disposal activity can start. We only grant licences if we're satisfied that the activity can take place without harming the health of people, wildlife and the environment.''

''We understand that the previous disposal activity in 2018 caused great public concern and we want to inform, communicate and engage with people as we assess whether the disposal can take place.

''Our six-week public consultation (5 February 2020 - 18 March 2020) will provide the opportunity for people to comment on the proposed sample plan. We also understand that EDF intends to undertake their own communication and engagement.''

To access the public consultation please click the red button below.