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Nuclear waste burials ruled out | Nuclear waste burials ruled out |
(about 3 hours later) | |
The Scottish government has broken ranks with Westminster after ruling out the deep burial of nuclear waste. | The Scottish government has broken ranks with Westminster after ruling out the deep burial of nuclear waste. |
A consultation on the move, recommended by an expert advisory panel, has been taken forward by UK ministers. | A consultation on the move, recommended by an expert advisory panel, has been taken forward by UK ministers. |
But the SNP administration said it would play no part in it or any future work on "geological disposal". | But the SNP administration said it would play no part in it or any future work on "geological disposal". |
Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said the stance had been taken as a matter of principle and was supported by public opinion in Scotland. | Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said the stance had been taken as a matter of principle and was supported by public opinion in Scotland. |
"We do not accept that it is right to seek to bury nuclear waste, which will remain active for thousands of years, in a deep geological facility or to expect any community to host such a facility," said Mr Lochhead, whose government is opposed to nuclear power. | "We do not accept that it is right to seek to bury nuclear waste, which will remain active for thousands of years, in a deep geological facility or to expect any community to host such a facility," said Mr Lochhead, whose government is opposed to nuclear power. |
We want to make sure that people have a chance to have their say at every stage in the process Ian Pearson MPUK environment minister | We want to make sure that people have a chance to have their say at every stage in the process Ian Pearson MPUK environment minister |
"This out-of-sight, out-of-mind policy should not extend to Scotland." | "This out-of-sight, out-of-mind policy should not extend to Scotland." |
The UK consultation exercise on the way in which a site would be chosen for long-term storage of high-level radioactive waste came after the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management last year recommended geological disposal as a way of handling it. | The UK consultation exercise on the way in which a site would be chosen for long-term storage of high-level radioactive waste came after the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management last year recommended geological disposal as a way of handling it. |
Westminster Environment Minister Ian Pearson insisted that the site selection process had not yet begun, adding: "We need to decide how a site for the geological disposal facility is chosen. | |
"As we do that, we want to make sure that people have a chance to have their say at every stage in the process." | "As we do that, we want to make sure that people have a chance to have their say at every stage in the process." |
UK ministers claimed that the proposed disposal facility would be a high-technology multi-billion pound project that would bring investment and jobs for generations. | UK ministers claimed that the proposed disposal facility would be a high-technology multi-billion pound project that would bring investment and jobs for generations. |
In Scotland, the current policy for waste is to support long-term "near surface, near site" storage so that waste can be monitored and retrieved, while minimising the need to transport it over long distances. | In Scotland, the current policy for waste is to support long-term "near surface, near site" storage so that waste can be monitored and retrieved, while minimising the need to transport it over long distances. |
This position was backed by Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie, who said: "On top of the costs, dangers, risks and a failure to truly tackle climate change - nuclear power creates waste that is not going to be magicked away." | |
Duncan McLaren, chief executive of environmental group Friends of the Earth Scotland, added: "We are concerned that the UK Government consultation is a sham to facilitate an unsustainable and unethical programme of new nuclear power stations." |
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