nuclear-news

Cumbria ponders on hosting UK’s underground radioactive waste dump

The anticipated footprint of the underground facilities ranges from 2.32 square miles to 8.88 square miles, depending on rock type and the amount and type of waste to be disposed of.

The Government has said deep geological disposal is the best way to dispose of higher activity radioactive waste. The waste is currently stored above ground at 36 UK sites, with most of it at Sellafield.

NUCLEAR DUMP COULD BE AS BIG AS WORKINGTON, Times & StarNews, 24 August 2012 An underground nuclear dump in West Cumbria would be about the size of Workington, a report has revealed. West Cumbria Managing Radioactive Waste Safely Partnership, which published its final report this week, said it would take at least 15 years to find a site.

Twenty-five per cent of West Cumbria has already been ruled out as unsuitable for an underground nuclear waste dump, the report said, and more work would be needed before it would be known if any of the area would be able to host the site.

It added that most members felt it was appropriate to do more
geological studies after any decision to move to the next stage…..
The Government has said more than one disposal facility may be needed
but a commitment to host one dump in an area does not automatically
mean the same community would have a second one.

A single repository is the Government’s favoured option.

The anticipated footprint of the underground facilities ranges from 2.32 square miles to 8.88 square miles, depending on rock type and the amount and type of waste to be disposed of.

The area in Workington is 2.47 square miles….. If the decision was
made for the process to continue, a partnership would be set up to
work with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and other interested
parties.

The Government has said deep geological disposal is the best way to dispose of higher activity radioactive waste. The waste is currently stored above ground at 36 UK sites, with most
of it at Sellafield.

Cumbria Association of Local Councils has written to county and
borough councillors urging them to delay their decision.

Keith Hitchen, association chairman, said a decision on whether to
proceed to the next stage of the process should not be taken until
more was known on the area’s possible suitability….
http://www.timesandstar.co.uk/news/politics/nuclear-dump-could-be-as-big-as-workington-1.988739?referrerPath=news/

August 25, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | UK, wastes