I'd like to thank the petitioners for bringing forward this petition. I have opposed the dumping of sediment dredged from the Hinkley C nuclear power station site in the past because of the uncertainty regarding the safety of sediment. The dredged sediment may be being dumped in the South Wales Central region, but it also affects my region, home to some of the world's top beaches and a haven for marine flora and fauna. For the past several years, many of us in this Chamber have raised concerns about the safety of this sediment, and thanks to us raising those concerns, and thanks to the efforts of this petition, EDF have now consented to a full environmental impact assessment and appointed CEFAS to conduct radiological tests at depth.

I hope CEFAS will also test for a wider range of radionuclides. Research conducted elsewhere shows that higher concentrations of radionuclides are found at depths greater than 1m. We also know that there are 16 times more radionuclides produced by nuclear reactors than were tested for. The sediment surveys tested for caesium-137, cobalt-60 and americium-241, but what about plutonium or curium? Why were these not tested for? What about strontium or tritium? Do these radionuclides not carry a risk to human health? Of course they do, but they were not tested for, and nor were the 50 other radionuclides known to be present in discharge from these old nuclear power plants. CEFAS needs to test for these.

Will the report and the EIA deem the sediment safe for humans, wildlife, and the environment? Because we cannot risk doing untold damage to our ecosystem and threatening the viability of some of the world's top beaches, like Rhossili, Three Cliffs bay and Rest bay. We need openness and transparency. Once dumping starts, who can tell whether that will open the doors for excessive dumping of greater amounts, larger than suggested? I fully support the petitioners and thank them once again for what they are doing to protect Wales's marine environment. Diolch yn fawr.