Reacting to a National Audit Office report published today (Wednesday 7 November 2012) which slams plans to replace ageing nuclear waste facilities at Sellafield, Dr Ruth Balogh, of West Cumbria and North Lakes Friends of the Earth, said:
 
“The UK’s failure to deal with highly hazardous nuclear waste at Sellafield is a national scandal that poses a significant risk to local people and the environment.
 
“The Government has completely ignored the urgent need for interim measures to deal with this radioactive waste.
 
“Instead millions of pounds of public money has been spent trying to locate a disposal facility in Cumbria, near the Lake District National Park, where the geology is unsuitable.
 
“We shouldn’t build any new nuclear reactors in the UK if we can’t deal with the radioactive mess that’s already been created.”
 
ENDS
 
Notes to editors:
 
1.    The Managing Radiocative Waste Safely Partnership (MRWSP) is the body which has been considering the possible location of a nuclear dump in West Cumbria for the past three and a half years. Its final report was issued in August 2012, indicating a substantial lack of agreement among its members. The three Cumbrian Councils - Cumbria, Allerdale and Copeland - have not been able to approve proposals to go forward to a further stage, and have agreed a pause in the process with Baroness Verma the Minister responsible for radioactive waste until the end of January 2013. See: www.westcumbriamrws.org.uk