The European MEP Marina Albiol alerted the European Commission of the individualized temporary storage project in the Cofrentes nuclear power plant. The European Parliament, which received the complaint from Ecologistes en Acció, stressed that the project does not include an impact assessment of the areas included in the Natura 2000 network, nor does it appear to include an assessment of the radiological impacts. Albiol is confident that the European Union will closely monitor the storage project, as the Spanish Ministry of Environment seems to overlook important aspects of it. Thus, according to environmental organizations, the planned storage is not technically justified and the actual objective is to extend the lifetime period of the Cofrentes plant, which theoretically ends in 2024. According to Esquerra Unida, priority should be given to managing the final shut down of the facility. Any other improvisations to maintain the power plant will increase the risk of accidents, with consequences that could be very serious. The EU MEP warned that once again, citizens are being prevented from accessing full and correct information, a right stipulated by the Aarhus Convention. Albiol pointed out that this is another of various other similar issues taking place in the region of Valencia: the high voltage line of Castellón, the protection of the aquifer of Alcoi, the urban planning for Cala Mosca and Orihuela Orihuela and others. He highlighted that once again, Europe’s environment and health is threatened by businesses prioritizing economic benefits over the safety and preservation of the common natural heritage. For this reason, they demand a determined and courageous defense of the environment from the Valencian regional government.
