THE UK NUCLEAR DECOMMISSIONING AUTHORITY

摘要

On December 1 2004 the European Commission announced it would launch an investigation, expected to take 12-18 months, into Britain's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to establish whether it would break European Union law by providing illegal state aid to BNFL. The NDA would inherit most of the liabilities of British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), which would be absolved from the responsibility to meet these liabilities. The Commission investigation will be interpreted by many as the Commission once again interfering in national affairs. By doing this, it could prevent the British government from finally taking responsible control of the decommissioning of nuclear facilities, an issue that has been variously, ignored, mishandled and even financially exploited by government over the entire history of nuclear power in Britain. However, a closer look at the NDA, what it will do and where it will get its funds from suggest that there is plenty to complain about with the NDA. Consumers and taxpayers have arguably already paid twice over for decommissioning the Magnox plants and under the provisions of the Energy Act 2004 that allowed the setting up of the NDA, future taxpayers will have to pay a third time.