| The Strategic Siting Assessment (SSA) is one of the 'facilitative actions' proposed by the Government to reduce the regulatory and planning risks associated with the construction of new nuclear power stations in the UK, and to promote private sector investment in nuclear power. The SSA process is designed to assess siting issues of national importance, and to identify sites which are strategically suitable for the construction of new nuclear power stations by 2025. The process is, thus, not concerned with detailed site-specific issues. At the Government's invitation, eleven sites were originally nominated in March 2009 by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and a number of energy companies – including EDF Energy, RWE npower and E.ON. The Government published the list of the nominated sites and the supporting documents provided by the nominators, in April 2009. The eleven sites listed were ultimately reduced to ten. The article considers the SSA criteria which have been grouped into four themes: Nuclear Safety; Environmental Protection; Societal Issues; Operational Requirements; and considers the sites which were originally nominated. The author also considers the Draft Nuclear National Policy Statement in the context of the articles main subject.
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