News : Geological survey starts
Geological survey of West Cumbria gets underway to ‘screen out’ areas unsuitable for an underground radioactive waste disposal facility
The British Geological Survey (BGS), the UK independent geological experts, has been commissioned by the Government to carry out a study of the geology of West Cumbria, using information that is currently available, as part of the early stages of the search for a site to locate a geological disposal facility for higher activity radioactive waste.
The Government is asking communities across the country to talk to them about potentially locating a deep underground facility.
Allerdale, Copeland and Cumbria County Councils made expressions of interest in the Government process to find a location for a disposal facility last year. They decided to start the early stages of this conversation with Government because around 70% of the country’s radioactive waste earmarked for geological disposal is already stored at Sellafield.
The Councils 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.
It would be well over a decade before any construction could start on a facility and up to that point the Councils would have the right to withdraw from the process.
The Councils set up the West Cumbria Managing Radioactive Waste Safely (MRWS) Partnership to help them make an informed decision and to ensure that people living in the area are involved. The Partnership includes a wide range of organisations in the area.
However, before a community can make a decision about whether or not to participate in the process of finding a site for an underground geological disposal facility, the Government requires the area to be screened to take out areas that are clearly geologically unsuitable and therefore make sure that there are places that could be geologically suitable for such a facility.
A spokesman from the Department of Energy and Climate Change says: “The British Geological Survey will look at the information that is already available about the geology of the whole of Allerdale and Copeland and up to 5 km offshore, and screen out any areas that clearly have unsuitable geology for a disposal facility, based on the criteria set out in the Government’s MRWS White Paper.
“The screening will be led by the BGS Chief Geologist and carried out by a team of experienced BGS geoscientists. It will be what is called a ‘desk based study’ only. This means that it will only use information that is already available and there will be no drilling or field-based investigative studies. It will not be ‘in depth’ and the BGS will not be looking at non-geological factors.”
The study by the BGS is not part of the process that would need to take place to identify and assess potential sites for a facility. More rigorous assessment of a wide range of criteria will only be undertaken if West Cumbria makes a ‘decision to participate’ in further stages of site selection.
The BGS study will not provide any indication where a facility might eventually be located. It is simply intended to avoid unnecessary work in areas which are clearly unsuitable on geological grounds.
This work will also not directly affect where the surface facilities, such as the entrance to the tunnel leading to an underground facility and offices, could be located. The surface access facilities could be a number of miles from the underground facility and could therefore be located in an area that is found to be unsuitable for an underground facility.
The results of the BGS study are expected to be available in September.
Tim Knowles from the West Cumbria MRWS Partnership and the Cumbria County Council Cabinet member responsible for environment says: “The Partnership meets every six weeks to consider the issues involved. We are also keen to ensure that as many people as possible get involved and have the chance to express their views. If the BGS study does not rule out the whole of West Cumbria we will be starting the next stage of a comprehensive public and stakeholder engagement programme in September.”
A decision about whether or not West Cumbria should participate in the Government siting process is then likely to be taken in the second half of 2011.
Information about the work of the Partnership is available at www.westcumbriamrws.org.uk. It is also possible to contact the partnership for information or to arrange a presentation by calling a free helpline on 0800 048 8912 or by emailing contact@westcumbriamrws.org.uk
For media enquiries please contact the Partnership’s Communications Adviser Paul Gardner at Osprey Communications on 01524-782086 or 07766-906561
Notes to editors
- 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 and the West Cumbria Sites Stakeholder Group.
- 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.