News : Nuclear Decommissioning Authority report
Statement by the West Cumbria Managing Radioactive Waste Safely Partnership on the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s report ‘Geological Disposal: Steps towards implementation’
The West Cumbria Managing Radioactive Waste Safely (MRWS) Partnership has welcomed the publication (on 6th July) of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s (NDA) report ‘Geological Disposal: Steps towards implementation’.
The NDA’s Radioactive Waste Management Directorate is responsible for managing the delivery of the Government policy of geological disposal for higher activity radioactive wastes, subject to a community volunteering to host a facility.
Elaine Woodburn, the leader of Copeland Borough Council, says: “The West Cumbria MRWS Partnership has a lot of work to do before there is a decision about whether or not to participate in the Government siting process. It is important that we have as much information as possible about the possible implications of hosting a geological disposal facility and the process that would be involved in finding a site to host a facility. This report helps to clarify the work that the NDA is doing.
“The Partnership will scrutinise the information that the NDA has provided as part of our continuing work programme. The Government has made it clear that this is a voluntary process and the Partnership will ensure that we take the time that is needed to properly consider the issues before deciding whether or not this area should participate in the siting process.
“The views of the public will play a vital role in this decision and we will be stepping up our efforts in the months ahead to ensure that people have as much information as possible and can form their own views.”
Around 70% of the country’s radioactive waste earmarked for disposal in a geological disposal facility is already stored at Sellafield. Allerdale Borough Council, Copeland Borough Council and Cumbria County Council believe that because of the social, environmental and economic impact, both positive and negative, that the waste has on West Cumbria it is essential the area is involved in the process to decide what happens to it in future.
The process that the Government is using to find a possible site is very different to the one that was led by Nirex in the 1990s. Most importantly, the Government is asking for communities to volunteer to host a geological disposal facility. Talking to the Government about the siting process for this facility does not commit anyone to it.
Even if a decision is made to participate further in the process the councils would continue to have a right to withdraw up until the point that any construction could start and that is likely to be more than a decade from now.
The West Cumbria MRWS Partnership involves a range of organisations in the area and was set up to advise the local councils on whether there should be a decision to participate in the process to find a site for a geological disposal facility.
The Partnership is investigating a wide range of issues including safety, what benefits there might be for the community, the inventory that could go into any facility and how the process to identify a suitable site might work.
The West Cumbria MRWS Partnership is determined to ensure that the whole process is open and transparent and that the public are involved in making the decision.
If West Cumbria does decide to continue in this process a Community Siting Partnership would be set up to carry out further, and even more detailed, work before a final decision could be made on whether or not a geological disposal facility should be sited somewhere in the area.
Information about the Partnership and how people can get involved is available at www.westcumbriamrws.org.uk
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For media enquiries please contact the Partnership’s Communications Adviser Paul Gardner at Osprey Communications on 01524-782086 or 07766-906561
Notes to editors
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In addition to Copeland, Allerdale and Cumbria County Council, there are a range of other organisations making up the partnership, including Barrow Borough Council, Eden District Council, South Lakeland District Council, the Lake District National Park Authority, the Cumbria Association of Local Councils, NuLeAF (the Nuclear Legacy Advisory Forum), local trade unions, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), Chamber of Commerce, the West Cumbria Sites Stakeholder Group, and the West Cumbria Strategic Partnership.
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A number of other organisations attend as ‘observing members’ including Government departments, the Isle of Man Government, CoRWM (Committee on Radioactive Waste Management), the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the safety and environment regulators.