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Researchers recently found that a radioactive plume could reach the Channel Islands in just an hour in the event of a major nuclear incident across the water – but that more information was needed from France to be able to respond quickly.
That information gap is now set to close after a deal was struck after a round of online talks between Jersey and Guernsey Ministers and their French counterparts this week.
Signed by Jersey's Home Affairs Minister Mary Le Hegarat and her Guernsey counterpart Rob Prow, the Service Level Agreement “provides information for emergency planning purposes” if such an event were to take place on the Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy, where Flamanville nuclear power station is located.
Préfet of la Manche, Xavier Brunetière, signed on behalf of France. He said it marked “the common willingness to further our discussions in order to guarantee rapid and relevant responses”.
France has three nuclear facilities near the Channel Islands:
a nuclear power station in Flamanville, 18 miles from Alderney, 28 miles from Guernsey, and 22.4 miles from Jersey
a nuclear fuel reprocessing site at La Hague, 12.4 miles from Alderney, 30.4 miles from Guernsey, and 31 miles from Jersey
a naval dockyard in Cherbourg, 23.6 miles from Alderney, 40.4 miles from Guernsey, and 34.2 miles from Jersey.
While a nuclear disaster is unlikely, the UK Health Security Agency recently modelled what would happen in if radioactive material were to be released from these sites.
Taking into account factors like the wind, the researchers found that a radioactive plume could take just one hour to arrive in the Channel Islands.
However, in other circumstances, it could also take four to 12 hours – or even be blown in the opposite direction.
The review found that prompt information from France would be essential if anything goes wrong in their nearby nuclear facilities, as, the earlier that Channel Island authorities are warned of an issue, the more time they will have to issue a shelter-in-place order.
"Nuclear accidents are fortunately very rare, and so it is difficult to work out how likely they are," the report noted. "The French authorities will have investigated this for their nuclear sites, but this information is not available to the public, to UKHSA or to the Channel Island authorities."
Although there had been meetings with French authorities – with visits in 2020 and 2023 – not all of the necessary information was available.
That should change with the new agreement, however.
Renewable energy and management of the Channel Islands' territorial waters were also on the agenda during the discussions, which were due to take place in person in Jersey but were instead held remotely due to weather disruption.
A £1.8 billion wind farm off Brittany, which is visible from Jersey’s coastline, started generating its first electricity for the French grid last year. Jersey and Guernsey are now looking to progress their own, and Environment Minister Steve Luce joined the round of talks to discuss the island's plan.
The wind farm forms part of a larger vision for Jersey's territorial waters outlined in a document called the Marine Spatial Plan, which came under strong criticism from French and Jersey fishers recently, who argued during a protest around the Minquiers that it would accelerate the decline of their already struggling industry.
CLICK TO ENLARGE: A photorealistic representation of how a wind farm might look off Jersey's coast.
External Relations Minister Ian Gorst said: “Jersey, Guernsey and France are close partners across a range of areas and collaboration benefits us all. We continue to work alongside our French and Guernsey colleagues and we recognise the importance of regular dialogue, particularly when it comes to renewable energy and marine protection.”
Deputy Gorst added: “It is significant that the Prefet delegation were due to visit for in-person meetings for the first time, in an official capacity this week, and I look forward to welcoming colleagues from France and Guernsey to Jersey next year to build on our discussions and progress tripartite cooperation across these critical areas.”
Guernsey’s External Affairs Minister, Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, said: “As part of our good neighbour policy with France, the engagement with the Prefets supports the commitment from both Guernsey and Jersey for ongoing cooperation with the French State.
“The sharing of information is a valuable tool in framing how Guernsey, Jersey and France develop the use of the seas around the Channel Islands and in the surrounding area, as well as understanding the potential impact that our plans may have on each other.”
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