Nuclear waste site fears are dismissed (From Gazette Series)

Nuclear waste site fears are dismissed

CLAIMS that a Severnside site could be reconsidered as a location for disposing nuclear waste have been dismissed.

A list published by the Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive (Nirex) last week names 537 locations throughout Britain that were identified during the 1980s as potential sites for disposing radioactive waste.

Included in the list, which was published under the Freedom of Information Act, was a site at Berkeley, as well as eight other locations in Gloucestershire.

Cllr John Marjoram, a Stroud District councillor (Green, Trinity), said: "These are totally unacceptable sites and many consider that it is unlawful that these sites have been kept secret for over 15 years. Communities have the right to know if a nuclear dump is being considered for their doorstep.

"I am very concerned that these sites in Gloucestershire and elsewhere will be looked at again for nuclear waste. Nirex will not rule out the possibility of any of these sites being reconsidered."

Cllr Marjoram continued: "The Government has just embarked on another attempt to find some way of managing our existing waste over the years ahead and at the same time is considering building more nuclear power stations. The best way to begin dealing with this hugely costly waste legacy is to stop producing it. Every community named on this list needs to take action now to stop plans to expand nuclear power in this country."

Cllr Marjoram added: "We do need to find a way of safely managing our existing radioactive waste, but our future must lie in energy efficiency and the production of safe, renewable energy, not in trying to resurrect the dangerous and expensive dinosaur of nuclear power."

But Nirex managing director Chris Murray dismissed the claim by saying that if a new selection process was needed the list would not form the starting point.

He said: "Radioactive waste exists and needs to be dealt with whether or not there is any programme of new build in the UK. We hope that the publication of the list, will help to move the debate away from past attempts to tackle this issue and on to the new process, led by the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM), in which we would encourage everyone to get involved.

"Many things have changed since this old list was drawn up, but what has not changed is that the waste still exists and needs to be dealt with in a safe, environmentally sound and publicly acceptable way for the long-term. Responsibility lies with this generation to ensure this is done".