News : Budding young newshounds are being challenged to create a report on underground radioactive waste disposal in Cumbria
Young people are being challenged to write or film a news report on the issues relating to West Cumbria’s potential involvement in the Government’s search for a suitable site for an underground repository for higher-activity radioactive waste.
The competition, which is being run by the West Cumbria Managing Radioactive Waste Safely (MRWS) Partnership, is open to young people aged 18 or younger on the closing date of March 12.
The aim is to encourage young people to find out more about the issues involved and think about what a repository might mean for them, their family, friends and the area in general.
To take part in the competition, young people need to either produce an article up to 500 words long or a film or audio podcast of up to four minutes long.
The entries need to be balanced reports of the kind found in newspapers, or on TV or the radio, and not arguments either for or against taking part in the search for a repository.
The competition will be judged by two journalists – Jonathan Lee, the Editor and publishing director of the North West Evening Mail, and Samantha Parker, a reporter for ITV Border - as well as Reverend Lindsay Gray of Churches Together in Cumbria who is a Partnership member.
Reverend Lindsay Gray, said: “If there is a decision by this area to take part in the Government’s search for a site then young people who are at school today should be involved in making the decisions about whether to remain in the process over the next decade or so, and ultimately in deciding whether to have a repository in West Cumbria.
“Although there would still be a right to withdraw from this process during the search for a possible site, the decision that needs to be made now is an important one and we are keen for as many young people as possible to learn more about the issues involved and come to their own view about what would be best for the area. We think this competition is a great way to help young people to learn more about the issues involved.”
The winner will receive £500 and there will be three runners-up prizes of £150.
Entries can be by an individual or a group, including a school class. If winning entries are submitted on behalf of a class or a group the prize will be given to the school or organisation concerned.
Entries must be submitted with a completed entry form, which is available from the Partnership’s website www.westcumbriamrws.org.uk, and can either be emailed to contact@westcumbria.org.uk (as long as the file size is below 5mb) or posted to Freepost RSKT-LTXU-HAYC, West Cumbria MRWS Partnership, Copeland Borough Council, The Copeland Centre, Catherine Street, Whitehaven, CA28 7SJ.
The competition forms part of a large programme of public consultation which is due to run until March 23.
The Partnership has published a consultation document stating its initial opinions on a range of issues such as geology, safety, what would go into a repository, what impacts a repository might have for the area and what additional benefits there might be. The public are being asked to read the full consultation document – which is available for download from the Partnership’s website together with a shorter Overview document and a DVD.
All secondary schools in Cumbria have also been sent a copy of material produced to help encourage discussion of some of the main issues – geology, safety, impacts and benefits. The information will also be useful for other organisations working with young people who would like to organise a discussion about these issues.
Connexions, the youth advisory organisation, are available to help facilitate these sessions. The schools and youth groups will be able to feed back views from these sessions to the consultation process.
If the area does decide to participate, it could withdraw at any point in the future until work begins to build a repository. It would take around 15 years to find a suitable site following extensive testing of geology and other factors.
For more information about the West Cumbria MRWS Partnership and to view all the competition terms and conditions please visit www.westcumbriamrws.org.uk