Archived press release

N-Waste solution may take decades

27 April 2006

The creation of suitable facilities for securing the long-term safety of Britain's highly dangerous nuclear waste "may take several decades" and robust interim storage must be found, the Government's advisors on nuclear waste have warned today. The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) also said that it envisaged that in the long term, radioactive waste will be disposed of deep underground.

Friends of the Earth is calling for:

• The Government to reject deep geological disposal. Experts have warned that the waste will leak from its containers within 500 years.

• Existing Nuclear waste to be safely stored as an immediate priority. CoRWM have highlighted a warning by security specialists that Britain's nuclear waste is vulnerable to terrorist attack and that Government is failing to address this issue with adequate detail or priority.

• No new nuclear power stations to be built, so that we do not add to Britain's nuclear legacy.

Friends of the Earth's Nuclear campaigner, Roger Higman said:

"Urgent action is needed to safeguard Britain's highly dangerous nuclear waste. In the short-term this must mean secure interim-storage. But a better long-term solution than dumping the waste deep underground where it is expected to eventually leak out of its containers, is required.

Nuclear power is inherently dirty and dangerous. The solution to Britain's nuclear waste problems must involve rejecting calls for new nuclear power stations. Britain could become a world leader in developing a low-carbon, nuclear-free economy. It should invest in the safe and sustainable solutions that already exist, as proposed by The Big Ask campaign."

Papers prepared for the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM), which is shortly to announce its recommendations for the long-term management of nuclear waste show that "security specialists" have warned CoRWM that:

"…….It is our unanimous opinion that greater attention should be given to the current management of radioactive waste held in the UK, in the context of its vulnerability to potential terrorist attack. We are not aware of any UK Government programme that is addressing this issue with adequate detail or priority, and consider it unacceptable for some vulnerable waste forms, such as spent fuel, to remain in their current condition and mode of storage."

The experts urge the Government to instruct the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority:

"to produce an implementation plan for categorising and reducing the vulnerability of the UK's inventory of radioactive waste to potential acts of terrorism, through conditioning and placement in storage options with an engineered capability specifically designed to resist major terrorist attack".

Last year Nirex revealed 537 secret locations throughout Britain, once identified as potential sites for disposing of Britain's nuclear waste.

Secret n-waste dump sites revealed

CoRWM press release

Notes

1. The security specialists were quoted in CoRWM paper 1674 entitled "Implications of Security for CoRWM's Recommendations -" which is being discussed at CoRWM's plenary meeting taking place in Brighton from 25-27th April.
See www.corwm.org/pdf%5C1674%20-%20implications ¬
%20of%20security%20for%20oc%20v4,%204%20april%2006.pdf (PDF†)

2. A CoRWM report of its last meeting on 11-12th says that: "the majority of members expressed the view that they had sufficient confidence in the long-term safety of geological disposal to consider recommending it as a preferred option". See www.corwm.org/PDF/1704%20-%20e-bulletin%206%20-%20Apr%2006.pdf (PDF†)

3. The Environment Agency has warned that "there appears to be insufficient justification for assuming that waste packages will last for a target period of 500 years". See CoRWM paper 1676 "Longevity of waste packages and reworking of waste packages" - www.corwm.org/pdf%5C1676%20-%20packaging%20of%20waste ¬
%20-%20fw%20v1,%204%20april%2006.pdf (PDF†)

4. CoRWM's statement on nuclear new build says that "we do not intend to give a positive or negative signal to new build in making our recommendations. New build wastes could in principle be accommodated within our options, but significant practical issues would arise, including the size, number and location of waste management facilities" - see www.corwm.org/pdf%5C1593.1%20-%20new%20build%20statement.pdf (PDF†)

A more detailed nuclear briefing can be found at:
www.foe.co.uk/resource/media_briefing/nuclear_power_energy_review.pdf (PDF†)

Details of Friends of the Earth's The Big Ask campaign, which advocates solutions to tackling climate change and maintaining energy security can be found at:
www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/energy_review_comment_23012006.html

†To view PDF files you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Visually impaired users can get extra help with these documents from access.adobe.com.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust