2.8.2 Other Finnish statements requested by the coordinating authority
Table 2-3. Other Finnish statements requested by the coordinating authority according to the statement compiled by the coordinating authority and their processing in the EIA report.
Other statements requested by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy
Processing in the EIA report Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK)
The project will have positive impacts on the climate policy and the energy markets, and demand for the plant is as high as it was in 2008. This should be clearly stated in the EIA report. According to SAK, the EIA program focuses on the impacts during operation, and the impacts on employment and society during construction, in particular, should also be discussed in the EIA report to a sufficient extent.
The project’s impact on the energy markets is discussed in Section 7.16.
The impacts on employment and society during the construc- tion phase are discussed in Section 7.10.4.
Greenpeace
Greenpeace highlights in its statement the need to take into account changes that have occurred since the previous EIA program in the current EIA procedure. According to Greenpeace, such changes include a more detailed idea of the impacts of a severe nuclear accident, lower electricity consumption growth forecasts, the changed plant type and supplier, the further spec- ified construction site, and negative views of Posiva’s current owners on the storage of nuclear waste.
Furthermore, the EIA program should include an assessment of an INES 7 accident and its impacts under all possible weather conditions, including the evacuation needs. The need for emergency power and its impact on the power grid in case of an unexpected shutdown as well as the preparations in case of a natural catastrophe should be assessed, taking into account the possible impact of climate change during the plant’s service life. Greenpeace would also wish to receive more information on the procurement of fuel, the properties of the fuel, and the final disposal solutions.
Nuclear accidents are described in Section 4 and their impacts are assessed in Section 7.13. Electricity consumption growth forecasts have been taken into account in Section 7.18.3. Infor- mation about the plant type and other technical issues, such as the procurement of fuel, is available in Chapter 3. Nuclear waste management is described in Section 3.13 and an impact assessment is available in Section 7.11.
Viewpoints on nuclear safety are discussed in Section 4, including the INES 7 class (severe nuclear accident). Results of the modeling of a nuclear accident are given in Sections 7.13 and 7.14.
The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation (FANC) FANC does not consider the continuous increase in the demand for electricity in Finland likely, and strongly highlights the opportunities to save energy and improve energy-effi- ciency. In its statement, FANC requests for improvements in the manner in which future energy trends are taken into account as well as calculations based on the most recent electricity consumption data and forecasts.
The impact on the energy markets are discussed in Section 7.16, and the electricity demand and opportunities to save energy are discussed in Sections 7.18.3 and 7.18.4.
In terms of the environmental impacts, FANC wishes Fennovo- ima to submit reference figures on the radioactive emissions into the air and water systems from Rosatom’s other nuclear power plants. Furthermore, FANC is of the opinion that the cooling water intake system has not been clearly explained and states that no information or surveys on the dredging of the dock basin is available. In the case of other water supply issues, FANC raises the question of uncertainties regarding the supply of potable water. FANC wishes to know how the supply of fresh potable water will be arranged.
The plant’s technical description, including emissions into the air and water, cooling water arrangements, and water supply issues, is given in Chapter 3. The impact of dredging is assessed in Section 7.4.
FANC is of the opinion that the plant site is too low-lying for a nuclear power plant and states that the impacts of the new road and its elevation on the landscape or the surrounding environment have not been assessed. FANC requests such an assessment.
The project’s landscape impacts are discussed in Section 7.7 and the impact on the natural environment in Section 7.6.
48 2 EIA procedure, communications and participation
2.8.3 International hearing statements
Table 2-4. A summary of the international hearing statements compiled by the coordinating authority and their processing in the EIA report.
Statements from the international hearing Processing in the EIA report Sweden
The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) notes in its statement that the radioactive releases of a severe reactor accident will spread over a very wide area. Thus, the fact that the assessments in the EIA program are limited to a distance of 1,000 km from Pyhäjoki is inadequate, and the modeling on geographical spreading of radioactive substances should be expanded. SMHI also highlights the risks caused during normal operation, particularly in terms of seawater, and the risks posed by port activities, if any.
The additional risks caused by a severe accident far away from the plant would be negligent when compared to risks caused by people’s lifestyle and the modern society in general. The impacts of a nuclear accident are assessed in Sections 7.13 and 7.14. Section 7.13 describes the starting points of modeling.
Radioactive emissions into water systems are assessed in Section 7.4.
The Norrbotten County Administrative Board raises the question of climate change in its statement, and requests from the EIA report a study of the long-term changes in water level and extreme weather conditions. Other Swedish County Administrative Boards that issued a statement included those of Västerbotten, Västernorrland, Gävleborg, and Uppland.
Section 3.3.1 studies conditions at the plant site and extreme phenomena that will be taken into account in plant design. Section 4.3 discusses preparation for external threats.
Association Kärnkraftsfritt Bottenviken expresses in its statement signed by thirteen civic organizations, five party organizations, and several private persons its deep concern on the project. The association raises the question of the impact of cooling water on the water of the Bay of Bothnia, the impact on vendace spawn (kalixlöjrom), the impact of pack ice, and the accident assessments conducted.
An assessment of the impact of the cooling water is given in Section 7.4. Section 3.3.1 studies conditions at the plant site and extreme phenomena that will be taken into account in plant design. Abnormal situations and accidents are discussed in Sections 7.13 and 7.14.
Several local and regional environmental protection associ- ations, associations opposing nuclear power, and political parties have gathered a petition of around 1,000 names in Skellefteå. The petition demands that 22 points in the EIA report be further specified. These points include the environ- ment of the Bay of Bothnia, radioactive emissions and thermal emissions, the entire uranium supply chain from mining to final disposal of spent nuclear fuel, and the consequences from an INES 7 accident.
Radioactive emissions into water systems are discussed in Section 7.4 and emissions into the air in Section 7.3.
An assessment of the impact of the cooling water is given in Section 7.4.
The nuclear fuel supply chain is described in Section 3.7 and its impacts are described in Section 7.15. Waste management of spent nuclear fuel is described in Section 3.13 and its impacts are described in Section 7.11. A separate EIA procedure will be applied at a later date on the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Abnormal situations and accidents as well as their assessment methods are discussed in Sections 7.13 and 7.14.
Austria
Austria requires an assessment of potential impacts of the Fennovoima project on Austria. The assessment should be made using the worst case scenario as the starting point. According to the statement, the source term used by Fenno- voima as the starting point in assessing accidents, 100 TBq Cs-137, is insufficient. The statement includes source terms that could influence Austria.
The transboundary impacts are discussed in Section 7.14. Abnormal situations and accidents as well as their assessment methods are discussed in Section 7.13.
Germany
The state of Schleswig-Holstein posed questions regarding the plant type design bases to prevent and manage accidents and to manage external threats.
Furthermore, the state is interested in the transport of new and spent nuclear fuel, and their potential impact on the state.
The plant type’s design bases are described in Sections 3.2 and 4.2. The plant site’s safety and management of external threats are described in Sections 3.3 and 4.3. Section 4.5 describes the management of abnormal situations and accidents Section 3.7.2.4 describes the transport of nuclear fuel and Section 3.13.2 the transport of spent nuclear fuel to the final disposal facility.
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