OLDBURY Power Station has been praised for its commitment to looking after the environment.

The nuclear power station was recently featured in a study with the Environment Agency, which looked at the nuclear industry’s performance alongside its impact on the local environment.

The Oldbury site was praised in the Nuclear Industry Sector Plan for going that extra mile in improving and protecting the environment.

Phil Heaton, from the Environment Agency's nuclear regulation group, said: "We are very pleased that the industry is supporting the sector plan and has agreed to use it to monitor and report on the environmental impact of its activities."

Oldbury Power Station has recently implemented its own Biodiversity Action Plans as part of its commitment to managing environmental responsibilities.

Environmental projects at Oldbury include three silt lagoons. Two of the lagoons are designated as Sites of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI) due to the large range of plant and bird life that they provide a habitat for.

Oldbury also has its own cider orchard and despite the wet weather conditions of last summer, a project was launched which enlisted the help of local community members, as well as staff, to bring the orchard back to its former glory.

The project involved carrying out restoration work on the trees as they had become overgrown and unproductive.

Work will continue this year on harvesting the apples and on making further improvements for birds, insects and wild flowers.

Matthew Castle, Oldbury's head of environment, said: "It is great to receive recognition from the Environment Agency for the good work done at Oldbury on the Nuclear Sector Plan.

"This reflects the hard work and commitment to the continual environmental improvement from everyone on site. The Nuclear Sector Plan is a useful tool for focussing our efforts and allowing us to continuously benchmark and monitor our progress.

"At Oldbury we look forward to continuing our work in partnership with the Environment Agency through generation and into decommissioning."

The Environment Agency is now working with the Oldbury site to gain a better understanding of the issues that face the industry in the future.