DEPARTMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (News Release ref :
195/07) issued by The Government News Network on 25 June 2007
Proposals for the
way in which a site will be chosen for the long-term disposal of
higher activity radioactive waste were today published for public
consultation by the UK Government and the devolved administrations
in Wales and Northern Ireland.
The consultation is seeking views on the technical aspects of
designing and delivering a disposal facility for higher-activity
radioactive waste, and on the process and criteria to be used in
deciding where the future facility should be located.
Based on the recommendation of the Committee on Radioactive Waste
Management (CoRWM), the Government announced last year that
geological disposal, coupled with safe and secure interim storage,
is the way forward for the long-term management of the UK's
higher activity radioactive wastes.
UK Environment Minister Ian Pearson said that the Government was
proposing an entirely new approach based on the concept of
voluntarism - that is, communities expressing an interest in
taking part in the process.
"We need to decide how a site for the geological disposal
facility is chosen. As we do that, we want make sure that people
have a chance to have their say at every stage in the
process," he said.
"The proposed disposal facility will be a high-technology,
multi-billion pound project that will bring investment and jobs
for generations. It will result in significant economic and social
benefits both for the host community and the wider surrounding area."
Mr Pearson said that the UK could learn from the considerable
experience of other countries that have already adopted geological
disposal as a way of dealing with radioactive waste in the long term.
He stressed that this is not the start of a site selection process.
"There is no site selection process underway at this point -
and there won't be until after we have consulted the public,
and we have established and published our policy on the way
forward in light of responses to that consultation," he said.
Planning and developing geological disposal will be based on four pillars:
* Partnerships with potential host communities that allow issues
and opportunities to be fully discussed and evaluated;
* Implementation by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA),
with clear responsibilities and accountabilities;
* Strong independent regulation by the statutory regulators, the
Health and Safety Executive, the environment agencies and the
Office for Civil Nuclear Security; and
* Independent scrutiny and advice to Government by a
reconstituted CoRWM, carrying forward the original
committee's commitment to openness and transparency.
The consultation will run until 2 November 2007. More information
is available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/WEBLINK,
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. A copy of Ian Pearson's written Ministerial Statement to
Parliament is available at http:// http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/radwaste-framework/index.htm.
2. The Government published its response to CoRWM in October
2006, in which it accepted CoRWM's recommendation to dispose
of higher activity radioactive waste through geological disposal.
This involves placing radioactive waste in facilities deep
underground, where the rock and man-made structures provides a
barrier against radioactivity.
3. Higher activity waste, which are the more radioactive wastes
from sources such as the nuclear and medical industries, military
uses and academic research, will be managed in the long term
through geological disposal. Geological disposal was identified
by CoRWM as being the option that would perform best in terms of
security and protecting the public and the environment.
4. This consultation is concerned with the long term management
of higher activity radioactive waste. It is not a consultation on
the principle of new nuclear power stations. That is a separate
subject being consulted on separately by the DTI consultation
Nuclear Power: The Role of Nuclear Power in a Low Carbon UK
Economy (Consultation Document) May 2007. Further information is
available at http://www.dti.gov.uk/consultations/page39704.html,
by phoning the DTI helpline on 0207 215 5000 or emailing dti.enquiries@dti.gsi.gov.uk.
5. A number of countries have already made good progress towards
implementing geological disposal. These include Finland, France,
Germany, Sweden and the USA.
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