Row over nuclear waste disposal

True Scotsman · Row over nuclear waste disposal

Jack McConnell words on nuclear waste disposal has caused controversy

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6084922.stm

Row over nuclear waste disposal

A war of words has erupted after Jack McConnell claimed Scotland's nuclear waste could be dumped in England as long it remains part of the UK.

The first minister said exporting the radioactive waste to the north west of England was the "most likely" outcome of an official nuclear waste review.

The SNP's Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland could end up taking all UK waste.

The remarks came as UK, Scottish and Welsh ministers accepted waste burial recommendations.

Mr McConnell made the comments during a lecture in East Lothian on Tuesday evening.

He said: "Nuclear waste is most likely to be placed in the north west of England.

"That is part of the partnership that we have - that we share each other's challenges for the future.

English Labour MPs have described the remarks as "provocative" and "unhelpful" to the debate.

Ms Sturgeon, the SNP's Holyrood group leader, said: "The real danger for Scotland, and perhaps what Jack McConnell is trying to hide, is not that we can offload our nuclear waste to England, but that Scotland will end up having to take all of the UK's nuclear waste."

The comments came as the recommendations of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) were accepted by the UK Government, the Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly.

The committee concluded that Britain should bury its nuclear waste at least 500m below the surface.

However, it said that building a repository could take decades.

Invited to volunteer

David Milliband, the UK environment minister, told the House of Commons that local authorities would be invited to volunteer to have a nuclear dump in their area.

He said those chosen would benefit from multi-million pound investment.

Scotland's Environment Minister Ross Finnie said: "We have made it clear that we are not seeking to impose radioactive waste on any community.

"We are strongly supportive of exploring the concept of voluntarism/partnership arrangements with the local authorities serving communities who might be affected."

He said the "geological disposal" approach will also be adopted in countries such as France, Germany, Japan and the US.

However, the Scottish Greens said ministers should not give the impression that the nuclear waste issue was now resolved.

Chris Ballance, the party's spokesman on nuclear issues, said: "The problem is not solved even if we can find a community willing to accept a deep hole full of nuclear waste nearby.

"The science is not there, it has not been done anywhere in the world and CoRWM say at the most optimistic it would be 40-100 years before such a store may even be possible."

'No solution'

Similarly, the environmental group Friends of the Earth Scotland claimed burying nuclear waste in the ground was "no solution".

Chief executive Duncan McLaren said: "Even if a community were to accept inducements to host a dump, it is vital that each and every affected community is properly consulted.

"After all, an escape of radiation from a transportation accident or from a leaking dump site will not respect artificial town or county boundaries.

"Solving the problem should not begin with bribes, but should instead start with a pledge not to create any more waste."

FALSYDE

Look for heaven's sake. Have you learned nothing since Jack became first numptie?

Jack does not KNOW what he is saying most of the time, and when he does he doesn't UNDERSTAND it. This explains why Jack says one thing today and the opposite tomorrow.

I do wish you would try to keep up. That said I can see why it is confusing maybe the best way to deal with Jack's blethers is to smile sweetly and mutter MAY 2007 JACK.

skip

FALSYDE

My post WAS meant to be humerous, along the lines of irony.

I have a total objection to shooting messengers, some day one might be bringing me a nice fat cheque. Aye right!

True Scotsman

Don't worry I knew it isn't the first time Jack has caused controversy. I actually visit the website nearly everyday, it just I don't post as much as I used too.

IF Convenor

Nuclear waste lasts so long you can think of it in terms of geological time.

Burying the stuff in any location is madness as we don't know what will happen there over the course of geological time. Plate tectonics, etc. means that no place can be considered stable over the course of millennia, so what happens if the depository is disrupted in several hundred years' time? What a legacy to leave future generations!

Mctosh45

I think the only safe place to put it, is to fire it off via an I.C.B.M. or something bigger (to be on the safe side) into space,towards the sun.