Environment Agency Wales says it will only approve Pembroke Power Station's plans to operate its own sewage treatment plant, if there will be no harm to human health or the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

The power station currently transports its sewage off-site to be treated and discharged, but RWE npower has applied to change its environmental permit to allow it to operate its own treatment plant.

The sewage plant is intended to treat domestic sewage generated on the site whilst the station is operational and does not affect the station's power generating activities.

The agency says it will investigate the proposals and if the application does meet the criteria, the operation will have to adhere to the same strict standards as the rest of the site.

Steve Brown, from Environment Agency Wales said: “We will thoroughly scrutinize these new plans and any potential impact they may have on the sensitive, protected environment the power station discharges into.

  “Our priority is to ensure that local people and the environment continue to be safeguarded, and we will only allow a change to the permit if we are confident of this.”

The closing date for comments is February 25th 2013.

Copies of the application are available to view at the public registers at County Hall, Haverfordwest and at The Environment Agency, Maes Newydd, Llandarcy, Neath Port Talbot, SA10 6JQ.

More details can be viewed online at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/library/consultations/118031.aspx.