June 25, 2007

scientists and engineers react to DEFRA nuclear waste announcement

DEFRA announced that it would begin the process of consulting with communities over where to site a nuclear waste repository.

Prof Robin Grimes, Professor of Materials Physics, Imperial College London, said:

“In order for a local community to accept or reject the siting of a nuclear waste facility in their area, they must be acquainted with the key scientific and engineering implications of their decision (in addition to the social and economic issues). It is important that scientists and engineers provide the necessary information in a clear and unambiguous manner to support those communities.”

Beth Taylor, Director of Communications and External Relations at the Institute of Physics, said:

“Getting the right solution for the long-term management of radioactive waste is a real national priority – it is an important step in making new nuclear power stations a credible option for tackling climate change. The proposed consultation seems the best way forward to ensure that the legacy of waste from nuclear facilities from the early days of civil and military development is dealt with in a safe and secure manner.”

Dr Paul Howarth, Director of Research, Dalton Nuclear Institute, University of Manchester, said:

“The DEFRA Consultation process is a welcome approach – it helps progress towards a solution to waste management but more importantly in a manner that keeps public engagement high on the agenda. This moves the nuclear industry away from its past history of being secretive as well as the decide-announcement-defend philosophy. There are communities that may wish to see a repository sited in their region and voluntary approach is the best way to take things forward.

“This approach recognizes the balance between the engineering solution and the social dimension. For example the perfect host geology may exist somewhere but in a location that is either impracticable or does not have community support for a repository. Hence a balance needs to be struck to take practicalities into account such a receptive community. Hopefully this will become evident through the DEFRA consultation.”

Mike Thorne, Mike Thorne and Associates Limited, independent consultants in radiological and environmental science, said:

“The consultation document gives a real impression that the Government now intends to take positive steps towards disposing of Britain’s legacy of radioactive wastes. There is a broad international consensus that geological disposal is the preferred approach and UK experts have long taken a leading role in site characterisation and safety assessment studies relating to the development of geological repositories overseas. It will be very welcome to see this highly skilled resource employed effectively in developing viable disposal concepts in the UK.”

Jeremy Gordon, writer and analyst at the World Nuclear Association, said:

“We welcome the beginning of Defra’s consultation aimed at finding a widely accepted process for the detailed strategy and location for the final storage of radioactive waste. This is a small step in a very long-term and very important process, which we are glad to see is being carried out in the correct step-by-step manner. With a clearly defined reversible process, which the public understands is fully justified at every step, there is no technical or societal barrier to the safe storage of waste.”