WIREDGOV

Geological disposal of radioactive waste - consultation responses published

DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (04/08) issued by The Government News Network on 10 January 2008

Responses to a consultation on the way ahead for the geological disposal of radioactive waste have indicated broad support for the proposals.

The Managing Radioactive Waste Safely : a Framework for Implementing Geological Disposal consultation was issued in June 2007, and invited comments on the UK Government's proposals for securing the long term management of higher activity radioactive waste through geological disposal.

Defra has today published the Summary and Analysis of Responses to that consultation, which closed in November 2007. The responses indicate:

* support for the proposals set out for securing the geological disposal of higher activity radioactive wastes;

* support for how we might use a voluntarism / partnership approach and site screening and assessment criteria to identify a facility site;

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Hilary Benn, said:

"Geological disposal of radioactive waste is already being worked towards by a number of countries, and the UK Government has been clear for some time that this is our preferred way forward.

"This consultation sought to establish whether the way we propose to implement geological disposal - as recommended by the independent Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) - is on the right lines. The results show that these proposals received support.

"This is a way forward for the long term. I re-emphasise our commitment to ensuring the safe and secure interim storage of waste and to a programme of ongoing research and development to support implementation of both the interim storage and geological disposal parts of this programme. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority will have the primary responsibility for delivering these programmes."

All consultation comments will be considered in developing the details of the next stages of the implementation process. Those next stages will be set out in a White Paper to be published later this year.

The Summary and Analysis of Responses is available on Defra's website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/radwaste-framework/index.htm.

Notes for Editors

1. Hilary Benn's written statement to Parliament is published at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/ministers/statements/hb080110.htm

2. The UK has accumulated a legacy of radioactive waste from a variety of different nuclear programmes, both civil and defence-related. Some of the waste will be radioactive for hundreds of thousands of years, and a way needs to be found of managing it in the very long-term until the radioactivity has decayed to safe levels.

3. The independent CoRWM Committee was set up under the Government's Managing Radioactive Waste Safely (MRWS) programme to advise on the best option or combination of options for the long term management of the UK's higher activity radioactive waste.

4. The Committee published its recommendations in July 2006 (http://www.corwm.org.uk), recommending geological disposal as the best available method for long-term management of this waste, following a period of safe and secure interim storage whilst a geological disposal facility is developed. There was also the suggestion of adopting a voluntarism and partnership approach with local communities to help identify a site for the disposal facility.

5. Government accepted CoRWM's recommendations in its response of October 2006. The consultation document "Managing Radioactive Waste Safely : a Framework for Implementing Geological Disposal" set out the Government's proposals for carrying forward this programme. Although it did not imply support for future implementation, the consultation was jointly sponsored by the devolved administrations for Wales and Northern Ireland to inform the public and to seek views. The Scottish Executive did not to sponsor the Consultation.

6. A number of countries have already made progress towards implementing geological disposal. These include Finland, France, Germany, Sweden and the USA.

Public enquiries 08459 335577;
Press notices are available on our website http://www.defra.gov.uk
Defra's aim is sustainable development

To subscribe or unsubscribe to Defra's mailing list go to: http://www.gnn.gov.uk/ Once on the GNN website see Sign up

Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR
Website http://www.defra.gov.uk