Nuclear spin

Welcome to NuclearSpin Exclusive: Government Department Secretly Discussed Going Pro-Nuclear The Nuclear Decommissioning Agency, the Government department in charge of over-seeing Britain’s nuclear legacy, secretly discussed making the controversial decision of actively promoting a new generation of nuclear power plants, even though the Agency is meant to be completely neutral. NuclearSpin has obtained documents under the Freedom of Information Act prepared for a meeting between NDA managers and its PR consultants, Bell Pottinger for a meeting in October last year. Under its “position on key issues", the NDA sets out its policy on “new build” and asks: “how much longer is it sustainable to hold a neutral position? What is needed is clarity. What are the implications, legal and reputational and positioning wise of being pro new build”. The document then warns that this issue is of real concern “as the wrong answer to a question could trigger legal / Judicial Review possibilities from the antis.” The documents were prepared in preparation for a “High Level NDA Communications Strategy” that took place in December 2008, mapping out the NDA’s vision from Autumn 2008 until March 2010 as well as the organisation’s vision until 2020. Realising their mistake in sending out the document, the NDA sent an “agreed record” of the NDA/ Bell Pottinger discussions, with the above text removed. Also removed was a draft of a “user friendly story of the NDA so far”. This included the sentence: “We recognised that while the nuclear industry has many strengths in terms of its technology and safety record, it also has weaknesses – namely, a tendency to be secretive and insular and, at times, of being guilty of intellectual arrogance.” Exclusive: Nuclear Civil servants Wined and Dined by Industry Senior civil servants from the new government department set up to facilitate the building of nuclear power plants, have been wined and dined at some of London’s most prestigious restaurants by companies with a vested interest in nuclear. The disclosure under Freedom on Information legislation comes amid growing parliamentary concern about the lobbying by industry of ministers and civil servants. Energy companies, nuclear contractors, trade bodies, accountants, corporate strategists and legal firms have taken Office for Nuclear Development (OND) chief executive, Mark Higson and other key directors to some of London’s most exclusive venues on 30 occasions since the department was set up five months ago. Bechtel, the engineering giant, paid for a reception at London’s exclusive OXO Tower, Alstom bought dinner at Madame Tussauds, while British Energy entertained three senior civil servants at a recent Burns supper at the Caledonian Club. Meanwhile, a Dutch nuclear company part owned by BNFL paid for drinks and dinner in the Netherlands. The revelations come as the government is drawing up its response to the influential Public Administration Select Committee’s report on lobbying. The Committee noted that “lunches are the kinds of contacts which can be of as much potential concern as formal lobbying meetings on the record”. In response to this concern, one of the Committee’s recommendations is that “gifts and hospitality” above a token value “received by Ministers and all civil servants should be recorded and made publicly available.” New NuclearSpin Briefings In the current economic climate are you worried about how the nuclear industry and governments may try and spin the finances for new power stations? Will you end up paying for new nuclear power plants? Where are the new sites going to be built in the UK? What about the waste? Where will it be stored? Will it be secure? All these issues have not yet been resolved, yet the British government is pushing ahead with a new generation of nuclear power plants. To assist people understand key issues on nuclear power, NuclearSpin has launched a series of in-depth analysis pieces on key issues surrounding the debate concerning building new nuclear power plants in the UK. To access just click on the title: Nuclear Costs and Finances An in-depth look at the costs and financing of the nuclear industry. Nuclear Siting This briefing paper examines where new nuclear plants may be sited in the UK Nuclear Waste Worried about how the government is going to spin nuclear waste. Then read this briefing paper. Nuclear Decommissioning A critical examination of the issues that surround decommissioning in the UK A Nuclear Slush Fund? A look at whether the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is using a "slush fund" to curry influence with local communities. Finally one new Analysis section has been added called Is the Debate on Nuclear Being Fixed? Background NuclearSpin was originally launched in response to the British Government's 12-week consultation on energy in 2006. In 2007, the High Court ruled that the Government's plans to build a new generation of nuclear power stations were "unlawful" and the way it consulted with the public over the decision was "misleading, seriously flawed, manifestly inadequate and procedurally unfair". What makes Brown's decision in January 2008 to give the goahead to a new generation of nuclear plants politically sensitive is that his younger brother Andrew Brown works for EDF Energy, the UK subsidiary of EDF, which is one of the leading companies pushing for a nuclear rebuild programme in the UK. The Labour Government is also speeding up the planning process, making it easier for nuclear power plants to be built. Planning Minister, Yvette Cooper has already had to fight off criticism of "nuclear cronyism" due to her father's links to the nuclear industry too. For a full briefing on the so-called 'facilitative actions' which the Government is carrying out to speed up nuclear developments see New Nuclear Monitor No.14 (pdf) To help people make up their own mind about nuclear power, NuclearSpin has been updated and expanded. There are new sections on countries and regions, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, the EU, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom and United States; Expanded profiles on pro-nuclear organisations and lobby groups. An analysis section, including Why Nuclear is not the Answer to Climate Change and The_Secret_Pro-Nuclear_Push_In_Schools. NuclearSpin is also working with Sourcewatch to develop a Nuclear Portal page. Some articles and profiles have now been deleted from the NuclearSpin site and moved across to SourceWatch. Each page that has been deleted includes a redirect to the relevant Sourcewatch page We hope you will find the site useful and informative. We think you will discover that a better understanding of what is going on globally will help you understand what pro-nuclear spin doctors are up to in your country. The editor of the Nuclear Spin portal is Andy Rowell: andy.rowell AT spinprofiles.org.

NuclearSpin Categories Analysis Individuals Organisations Countries Companies PR PR, Lobbying and Consultancy firms NuclearSpin in the News So far NuclearSpin or documents from the website have been covered in/on: The Guardian, 28 January 2009 Independent on Sunday, 4 January 2009 The Guardian, 12 November 2008 Private Eye, No. 1220, October 3-16, 2008 The Independent, 24 February 2008 Variant, Number 28, Spring 2007 Public Affairs News, October, 2006 The Guardian, July 17, 2006. The Guardian July 11, 2006. BBC News Online, July 10, 2006. Scoop, July 7, 2006. BBC Newsnight, July 5, 2006. WhiteHaven News, June 22, 2006. Private Eye, No. 1159, 26 May - 8 June 2006 BBC Newsnight Scotland, May 17 2006; Open Democracy; May 18, 2006; The Sunday Times; May 7, 2006; The Sunday Herald; May 14, 2006; The Guardian, June 7, 2006; The Guardian, May 24, 2006; The Guardian, May 03, 2006; What's New Check out the following: Walrus Magazine's in-depth article on the cancer controversy surrounding the Cameco plant in Ontario, Canada. Nuclear power is the least popular energy source among European Union citizens, according to new research. A special report from Eurobarometer, the public opinion analysis arm of the European Commission, concludes that “EU citizens are most in favour of renewable energy sources while nuclear energy is opposed by many”. Of 24,815 EU citizens interviewed in 25 countries, only one in five said they were in favour of nuclear power, while one in three (39 per cent) expressed strong opposition. The report says: "Nuclear energy provokes the most opposition among EU citizens." To read more, click here (pdf file). The Financial Times reported on February 19, 2007, that Rolf Linkohr, who has been advising Andris Piebalgs, the European energy commissioner, had his contract terminated because he failed to clarify there was no conflict of interest between this role, and his role as a pro-nuclear lobbyist. The sacking came after a campaign by Corporate Europe Observatory. Check out the new video section on SpinWatch including one on the dangers of civil nuclear power featuring David Lochbaum from the Union of Concerned Scientists. Also a coalition of groups in the US called Grass Roots Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) has launched a report called False Promises: Debunking Nuclear Industry Propaganda which is a compelling expose of the nuclear industry propaganda. Other Nuke News Get the latest news on the Nuclear push at the Spinwatch site