News : Nuclear waste repository meeting discusses geology
The West Cumbria Managing Radioactive Waste Safely (MRWS) Partnership has thanked all those who took part in a seminar on geology on Monday evening (20th June).
The meeting at Whitehaven Civic Hall was attended by more than 100 people including about 60 members of the public.
The meeting heard from a number of experts: Professor Simon Harley from the independent Committee on Radioactive Waste Management; geologists Dr Adrian Bath and Dr Jeremy Dearlove; and Cherry Tweed from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. Another geologist, Professor David Smythe, decided not to take part in the seminar.
Elaine Woodburn, current Chair of the West Cumbria MRWS Partnership, said: “We are pleased that so many people took part in the seminar. These are complex issues but they are very important, which is why we are encouraging everyone to get involved, find out more about what is being discussed, ask questions and come to their own views.
“We regret that Professor Smythe was not prepared to come to the meeting so that members of the Partnership and the public had the opportunity to ask him questions.
“We invited a number of experts to take part in the seminar to help further improve our understanding of the issues involved. Professor Smythe says we did not give him enough time to speak at the seminar, however we had to limit the time for presentations so that people could also ask questions.
“The Partnership has already had a lot of evidence from a number of people on the geology of West Cumbria, including a 35 page document from Professor Smythe which is available on our website. We have also included an article by him in one of our newsletters. The aim of the seminar was above all to give people the opportunity to ask questions.
“Professor Smythe’s view that the meeting should be limited to just him and one other person is unreasonable. In our last round of public engagement people made it clear that they want to hear from a range of expert opinion.
“We also offered to pay Professor Smythe’s travel and accommodation expenses so he could travel from France for the seminar.
“The decision that needs to be made about whether or not to take part in the Government’s search for somewhere to put a repository for higher activity radioactive waste is a very important one for people in this area.
“We are committed to discussing these issues thoroughly and openly. We hope everyone who has something to contribute to these discussions will be prepared to respond to reasonable requests from this community Partnership to help us in these deliberations”.
The West Cumbria MRWS Partnership includes representatives from all the Cumbrian councils as well as organisations such as the National Park, Cumbria Tourism and the National Farmers’ Union. Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and Cumbrian’s Opposed to a Radioactive Environment were also invited to join the Partnership and take part in planning its work but have declined.
Partnership members are now considering the information they have received on geology and other issues, including feedback from members of the public, and they will produce a draft report of their advice to Copeland Borough Council, Allerdale Borough Council and Cumbria County Council. Residents of West Cumbria and the rest of the county will then be asked their views on the draft report before any decisions are taken. This will include exhibitions and meetings around Cumbria, newsletters and articles in the media.
The Partnership is also taking an exhibition stand around a number of venues during the summer. Around 800 people visited the Partnership’s exhibition stand at the Whitehaven Festival last weekend.
A newsletter being delivered to all homes in West Cumbria this week includes articles on the surface facilities for a repository, learning the lessons from Japan, earthquakes and community benefits. BBC environment correspondent Richard Black has also written an article on the international experience of managing radioactive waste.
Geology will again be on the agenda at the next Partnership meeting on Thursday 23rd June at the Market Hall in Egremont. Members of the public can also attend these meetings and there is an opportunity to ask questions. Partnership members will consider their initial conclusions about whether they can be ‘satisfied that sufficient areas are remaining in West Cumbria after initial screening to make further progress worthwhile’.
If West Cumbria does take part in this process there would be very detailed geological investigations and other studies to see if any of the area would be suitable for a repository. Even if West Cumbria does agree next year to take part in the search for a site, the councils can withdraw from the process up until the point where building work could begin – likely to be a decade or more from now.