Last updated at 16:32, Thursday, 02 August 2012

PLANS for an underground nuclear waste repository are to be fast-tracked by more than a decade.

Britain’s first burial of waste from nuclear power stations was to happen by 2040 but the government has asked the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to carry out research into “the potential options for acceleration” to 2029.

A new report on Implementing Geological Disposal, seen by a national newspaper, said the government is determined to press ahead with acceleration, despite “the inherent risks”.

It said: “Acceleration remains an enduring ambition for ministers but no decisions will be taken until NDA’s further work is complete.”

Cumbria County Council and Allerdale and Copeland Borough Councils are the only three areas that have expressed an interest in hosting the nuclear burial site.

Copeland MP Jamie Reed said: “I was the first to call for the acceleration of the project and I’m pleased ministers supported this call and asked the NDA to assess the feasibility of acceleration.

“No considerations come before safety and clearly if this cannot be done, it will not be done. That said, there are no real reasons why this should not happen. My desire for a much increased pace towards the development of a repository is well known. I believe our community should pull out all the stops to make this happen as quickly as possible, assuming the conditions are right and the investment strategy is acceptable.

“If we do this properly – in partnership with the NDA and government – then we can become one of the most vibrant, fast-growing economies anywhere in Britain.”

Earlier this month suggestions specific sites had been earmarked were refuted by the West Cumbria Managing Radioactive Waste Safety Partnership, the group behind the nuclear store study. The decision on whether to search West Cumbria for somewhere suitable to dispose of nuclear waste will be made in the autumn by Copeland, Allerdale and Cumbria County councils. WCMR said a poll of more than 3,000 adults in Cumbria suggested a majority backed having the facility here.

First published at 16:22, Thursday, 02 August 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk