Notification Under Nuclear Energy Act

Notification under Nuclear Energy Act

Announcement of environmental impact assessment for construction

by ERH of a new nuclear power station at Borssele

This announcement is being made by the Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment in conjunction with the Minister of Economic Affairs, the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, the Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management and the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (hereafter collectively called 'the Competent Authority').

On 7 September 2010 a notice was received from Energy Resources Holding B.V. (hereafter called ERH) for an environmental impact assessment in connection with its intention to:

Build and operate a new nuclear power station at Borssele

The intention concerns a nuclear power station with a maximum capacity of 2500 Mwe.

ERH wants to build a nuclear power station in order to:

generate a substantial quantity of electricity without appreciable emissions of the greenhouse gas CO2 and other pollutants, such as NOx, SO2 and particulate matter;
produce energy at low variable costs;
contribute to the security of electricity supplies in the Netherlands and Northern Europe by using reliable technology and fuel diversification.

These activities require licences under legislation including Section 15, (a) and (b), Section29 and Section 34 of the Nuclear Energy Act. Other decisions must be taken under legislation including the Water Act and nature conservation laws. An Environmental Impact Report must be drawn up to facilitate decision-making.

Important! The intention announced by ERH is unrelated to the intention of DELTA announced in June 2009 to build a nuclear power station at Borssele.

Procedure

The law requires a comprehensive environmental impact assessment prior to the licensing procedure for the construction of a new nuclear power station. The procedure for an environmental impact assessment has six steps:

ERH must submit written notice of its intention to build and operate a nuclear power station and its intention to prepare an Environmental Impact Report;
the Competent Authority must consult the Environmental Impact Assessment Commission, other advisers and relevant administrative bodies about the scope and level of detail of the Environmental Impact Report that must be prepared;
the Competent Authority must make a public announcement about ERH’s intention and give all members of the public an opportunity to express their views;
the Environmental Impact Assessment Commission must give its recommendations;
the Competent Authority must advise on the scope and level of detail of the Environmental Impact Report that ERH must prepare. The advice will include the requirements that the report must satisfy;
ERH will draw up an Environmental Impact Report.

No decision will be made about the Nuclear Energy Act licence while the environmental impact assessment is in progress. A decision will not be taken until ERH has completed the Environmental Impact Report and has applied for a licence. ERH says in its notice that it will apply for a licence in 2012. The decision on the licence application will determine whether ERH will be allowed to build a nuclear power station. During the licensing procedure all members of the public will again have an opportunity to express their views.

At present we are at step 3 of the procedure. This means that you have an opportunity to make known your views about ERH's stated intention.

Inspection of notice of environmental impact assessment

The notice will be available for public inspection from 23 September 2010 up to and including 19 November 2010 at the following places:

Front office of the Documentary Information department of the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (‘VROM’), Rijnstraat 8, The Hague. The front office is open Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 17.00 hrs. You will be required to show means of identification at the entrance to the ministry.
Public library of the municipality of Borsele, Stengeplein 1, Heinkenszand. The library is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 14:00 to 20:30 hrs.
Borsele Town Hall, Stenevate 10, Heinkenszand. The town hall is open Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 12:30 hrs.
Information Centre of Zeeland province, Abdij 6, Middelburg. The Information Centre is open by prior appointment (tel.: 0118 – 631400).
Zeeland Directorate of Public Works and Water Management, Licensing and Enforcement department, Poelendaelesingel 18, Middelburg, by prior appointment (tel. 0118 - 622387) on working days from 09:00 to 12:00 hrs and from 13:00 to 16:00 hrs.
Goes municipal office building, M.A. de Ruijterlaan 2, Goes. The office is open Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 12:30 hrs, Thursday van 17:00 to 20.00 hrs and Saturday from 10:00 to 12:00 hrs.
Hulst town hall, Grote Markt 24, Hulst. The town hall is open Monday and Wednesday to Friday from 09:00 to 16.00 hrs and on Tuesday from 09:00 to 12:00 hrs.
Kapelle town hall, Kerkplein 1, Kapelle. The town hall is open Monday and Wednesday from 09:00 to 16.00 hrs, on Tuesday and Friday from 09:00 to 13.00 hrs and on Thursday from 09:00 to 13:00 hrs and from 17:00 to 20:00 hrs.
Middelburg town hall, Kanaalweg 3, Middelburg. The town hall is open Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 16.30 hrs.
Noord-Beveland town hall, Voorstraat 31, Wissenkerke. The town hall is open Monday to Thursday from 08:30 to 12:00 hrs and from 13.00 to 15.00 hrs and on Friday from 08:30 to 12:00 hrs.
Reimerswaal town hall, Oude Plein 1, Kruiningen. The town hall is open Monday to Thursday from 09:00 to 14.00 hrs and on Friday from 09:00 to 12:00 hrs.
Schouwen-Duiveland town hall, Laan van Sint Hilaire 2, Zierikzee. The town hall is open Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 17.00 hrs.
Sluis town hall, Nieuwstraat 22, Oostburg. The town hall is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 08:30 to 13:00 hrs, on Wednesday from 08:30 to 16:00 hrs and on Friday from 08:30 to 12:00 hrs.
Terneuzen municipality at the following addresses:
- Oostelijk Bolwerk 4, Terneuzen
- Markt 1, Axel
- Westkade 107, Sas van Gent
Opening hours in Axel and Terneuzen: Monday to Thursday from 09:30 to 16:30 hrs and on Friday to 20:00 hrs.
Opening hours in Sas van Gent: Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00 hrs (closed between 12:00 and 13:00 hrs).
Tholen town hall, Hof van Tholen 2, Tholen. The town hall is open Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 17:00 hrs.
Veere town hall, Traverse 1, Domburg. The town hall is open Monday to Wednesday and on Friday from 09:00 to 16:00 hrs, and on Thursday from 09:00 to 19:00 hrs.
Vlissingen town hall, Paul Krügerstraat 1, Vlissingen. The town hall is open Monday to Wednesday and on Friday from 09:00 to 16:00 hrs, and on Thursday from 09:00 to 19:00hrs.
Belgium, municipality of Assenede, at the municipal environment department, Kasteelstraat 3, Assenede. Opening hours are Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 12:00 hrs and Tuesday from 14:00 to 16:00 hrs.
Belgium, municipality of Sint-Laureins, at the municipal environment department, Dorpsstraat 91, Sint-Laureins. Opening hours are Monday and Wednesday to Friday from 09:00 to 12:00 hrs and Tuesday from 13:30 to 19:30 hrs.
Belgium, municipality of Zelzate, at the municipal environment department, GroteMarkt1, Zelzate. Opening hours are Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 11:45 hrs, Tuesday from 14:00 to 19:00 hrs, and Friday from 14:00 to 16:00 hrs.

The notice is also viewable on the following website:

Consultation

All members of the public have an opportunity to express their written or oral views on ERH’s intention up to and including 19 November 2010.

Written views should be sent to the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, addressed in the way shown below and stating the reference ‘announcement new nuclear power station ERH’:

Ministerie van Volkshuisvesting, Ruimtelijke Ordening en Milieubeheer,

Directoraat-Generaal Milieu

Directie Risicobeleid / IPC 645

Postbus 30945

2500 GX Den Haag

The Netherlands

Oral views may be made known to the New Nuclear Power Station Consultation Deskby telephone on the following number: +31(0)703394991.

E-mailed views should be sent to , stating the reference ‘announcement new nuclear power station ERH’.

Information meetings

Two identical information meetings will be organised. One will be held at Utrecht and the other at Heinkenszand. Information will be given at the meetings about the procedure for the environmental impact assessment and about the intention of ERH. You will have an opportunity to ask questions. All members of the public will then be able to express their views at the meetings about ERH’s intention. The Competent Authority will consider the reactions received in the consultation round when preparing its advice on the scope and level of detail of the Environmental Impact Report that ERH must prepare.

The meetings will be held on the following dates:

Tuesday 2 November 2010

from 19:00 to 22:00 hrs at Jaarbeurs, Beatrixgebouw, zaal 215, Jaarbeursplein 6, 3521 ALUtrecht.

Tuesday 9 November 2010

from 19:00 to 22:00 hrs at Vergader- en Congrescentrum De Stenge, Stengeplein 1, 4451CZ Heinkenszand.

The programme for the information meetings is downloadable from the ministry website at Doors will open 30 minutes before the start of the meetings.

Registration

For organisational and catering reasons we would like to know beforehand whether you will attend the meetings on Tuesday evening 2 November 2010 or Tuesday evening 9 November 2010. You can register by sending an e-mail to the following address: rnativelyyou can register by telephone by calling the New Nuclear Power Station Consultation Desk on +31(0)703394991.

How will your reaction be treated?

All reactions received in the consultation round will be considered when the Environmental Impact Assessment Commission prepares its recommendations. The Competent Authority will use these recommendations when preparing its advice on the scope and level of detail of the Environmental Impact Report that ERH must draw up.

After adoption of the advice on the scope and level of detail of the Environmental Impact Report, a document that summarises all reactions received in the consultation round will be sent to persons who submitted reactions, together with the advice of the Environmental Impact Assessment Commission. This is expected to occur in the first quarter of 2011.

Further information

If you have questions about the contents of the notice or about the consultation procedure, you may contact the New Nuclear Power Station Consultation Desk by telephone on +31(0)703394991 or e-mail at , stating reference ‘Mededeling Kerncentrale Borssele’. You can also get more information on the ministry’s website at