FoE letter to Cumbria County Council Leaders Feb 4th 2013

Dear Cllrs Martin & Young

On behalf of W Cumbria & N Lakes Friends of the Earth I want to
congratulate you on the brave decision you took last Wednesday. I'm sure
you'll look back on it as having been the right thing to do for
Cumbria, and everyone who loves our beautiful county will be grateful to you,
too. We particularly welcome the emphasis on tackling the storage of
nuclear waste, as we believe that the focus on the GDF has been
unhelpful in this regard, and has detracted from the urgent need to
improve the safety of this waste. CORWM recommended a comprehensive
approach, and we would welcome a return to the full package of their
recommendations.

Except for the expertise of Profs Smythe & Haszeldine this was very
much a local campaign, and I regret the negative comments made at the
meeting by some about the so-called 'anti-nuclear bandwagon'. Even as
a local branch of a national NGO we had no material support over the
course of the last 4 years.

During the last couple of months, however, we HAVE got a small grant
to help us with our work. We will be using this to develop a vision
for Cumbria that engages with the current problems over storage of
nuclear waste, and to propose a framework for a sustainable future for the
County which will make the most of its clean and green image.

We would very much welcome the opportunity to open a dialogue over
this, as we believe we have a lot to offer.

Once again, many congratulations over your courageous stand, and for
your ability to listen and weigh all the arguments.

with my best wishes

Ruth

Dr Ruth Balogh
Nuclear issues campaigner, W Cumbria & N Lakes FoE