The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) had not applied its mind while fixing the heat tolerance limit for effluent discharge from the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) into the sea at 45 degree Celsius, the Madras High Court said on Tuesday.
Taking strong objection to TNPCB’s submission, a division bench comprising justices P Jyothimani and P Devadass said it showed the board had not applied its mind at all to the issue. It is a nuclear plant, the bench pointed out. Advocate-General A Navaneethakrishnan assured it that the TNPCB would issue a fresh order with necessary modification.
Krishna Srinivasan, counsel for National Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), claimed that the temperature of the effluents would not go beyond 38 degree Celsius, as it would be mixed with seawater. He assured the bench that he will file an affidavit of undertaking to this effect on Thursday, the next date of hearing.
In its counter, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) in Mumbai denied the petitioner’s allegation that its nod for initial fuel loading (IFL) for the first unit amounted to contempt of court. The recommendations made by its expert committee were considered during the review of the application for IFL and the first approach to criticality (FAC). The review stated that the first unit had adequate safety measures against external events, particularly tsunami, and had provisions to withstand a station blackout condition. To further improve safety, additional enhancements proposed by the NPCIL were reviewed in depth and accepted for implementation in a phased manner.
Comments
0 comment