Nuclear waste problem unsolved - official

A leaked official report exposes the bogus nature of the pro-nuke lobby's proposals to manage the nuclear waste legacy.

The Government's own nuclear waste advisers, the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CORWM), have concluded in an outline report that "If Ministers accept our recommendations, the UK's nuclear waste problem is not solved."

Pro-nuclear pushers can no longer hide behind the idea that they expect CORWM to give a green light to nuclear power just because a waste dump of one sort or another is proposed. It won't wash - they're living in a dream world.

We are still a million miles from resolving the problem of existing waste, never mind creating more.

The report says on paragraph 64 :"If Ministers accept our recommendations, the UK's nuclear waste problem is not solved. Having a strategy is a start. The real challenge follows."

Status of the report: "The Committee is currently completing the third and final phase of its programme: assessing its short-listed options for managing the UK's radioactive waste and recommending the best option or combination to Government. It decided in autumn 2005 to start preparing its final report, beginning with an outline and introductory Chapters, then progressively adding more material, starting with its work to date and ending with its final conclusions and recommendations. This is the current version of the report."

Scottish Ministers have on record a commitment that no new nuclear power stations would be supported in Scotland until the nuclear waste problem is solved. Welsh ministers want a nuclear free Wales. Are the people of England going to go it alone?

>> the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CORWM)

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