Nuclear waste in the soil in Drenthe, that has been non -negotiable for more than fifty years. Nuclear energy itself was that also for decades. But since the current coalition in the Provincial States nuclear energy is discussed and Drenthe will even participate in an investigation whether small nuclear power stations in our province are possible, you can sometimes get into a difficult discussion with the government in The Hague.
Deputy Henk Jumelet (CDA) of Energie sees that too. “At the same time, we have agreed in this Statenzaal that we want to investigate whether Small Modular Reactors (SMR or small nuclear power plants) are possible in Drenthe. And you should also have a discussion about the nuclear waste. But if there is no solution for the waste, an SMR in Drenthe will also be very difficult.”
Harry Omlo van JA21 is a pronounced proponent of small nuclear power plants, just like the VVD, PVV and FVD. With the support of the BBB, the research into small nuclear power plants came.
Omlo: “If you want small nuclear plants, you also have to think about the solution of the radioactive waste. An SMR produces less core waste, but it is still there. You could put that at the COVRA (the national temporary storage for radioactive waste) in Zeeland. At the same time you also have to talk about storage in the end of your own nuclear.” Omlo looks forward to the discussion with the government with confidence.
Party for the animal party chairman Siska Peeks is against nuclear power stations. Just like the SP, D66, Volt and GroenLinks, among others. “Too dangerous and we have no solution for the waste. If you want small nuclear power stations, but no nuclear waste in Drenthe salt umbrella organizations, I know what the government is going to say.” Do you have a small nuclear power plant? So also storage in the bottom of the waste. “
In the meantime, municipalities and local parties are also starting to find something of nuclear energy. As in Hoogeveen where Gemeentebelangen wants such a small nuclear reactor and recently organized an information evening for the residents.
Councilor Geert-Jan Walda: “With wind and solar energy we are not going to make it. At certain moments we don’t have that too much and at certain times. And the energy network is full and is overloaded. We can’t all say that we do not want no nuclear power plant in our neighborhood, because then it will not come anywhere.”
“We are not going to solve the netgunstyste on the energy network with nuclear energy. The construction of new nuclear power plants, also small SMRs lasts for years,” siska peeks will be present for the animals.
The cabinet wants to make a decision much earlier about where we definitively leave our nuclear waste. In the coming years, it must become clear where the final storage of radioactive waste should be.
And with that the Drenthe salt umbrella organizations in Schoonloo, Anloo/Gasteren, Gasselte/Drouwen and Hooghalen are again fully in the picture as a storage place. There is also a so-called information and opinion procedure.
The course of The Hague was always: we spend the nuclear waste at COVRA in Zeeland for 100 years. In the year 2100 a decision follows what the final ‘final storage’ of the nuclear waste will be and in 2130 such a storage place must be ready. The salt domes remained in the picture.
Why forward everything at 75 years? Argument of the State Secretary: The nuclear power plant in Borssele remains open for longer and the Netherlands will have two large nuclear power plants and possibly a number of SMRs. So together there is more nuclear waste. The rule of Europe that every country itself must find a solution for its own nuclear waste is also used by the government as an argument to speed up the process.
In the municipality of Aa and Hunze from Mayor Anno Wietze Hiemstra there are three of the four Drenthe salt umbrella organizations that the government is looking at for the storage of nuclear waste. The mayor sees the danger of the ‘the lusts and not the burden’ discussion that threatens. Hiemstra does not want to participate in the discussion itself, he leaves that to Drenthe politics. He sees it with sad eyes.