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| Radioactive waste 'to be buried' | Radioactive waste 'to be buried' |
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| Britain is to bury its radioactive waste, Environment Secretary David Miliband has told the House of Commons. | Britain is to bury its radioactive waste, Environment Secretary David Miliband has told the House of Commons. |
| Disposal sites would only be built "in a geologically suitable area" and no community would be forced to take one. | Disposal sites would only be built "in a geologically suitable area" and no community would be forced to take one. |
| There have been decades of debate on storing waste long term - it could take 40 years to build a repository. | There have been decades of debate on storing waste long term - it could take 40 years to build a repository. |
| Local councils are to be invited to volunteer to have a nuclear dump in their area. Those chosen will benefit from multi-million pound investment. | Local councils are to be invited to volunteer to have a nuclear dump in their area. Those chosen will benefit from multi-million pound investment. |
| Mr Miliband said they would work in partnership with local authorities which volunteered to house sites - as recommended by the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CORWM). | Mr Miliband said they would work in partnership with local authorities which volunteered to house sites - as recommended by the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CORWM). |
| See how radioactive waste might be buried | See how radioactive waste might be buried |
| "We have made it clear that we are not seeking to impose radioactive waste on any community," he told MPs. | "We have made it clear that we are not seeking to impose radioactive waste on any community," he told MPs. |
| He added: "Governments of all parties have struggled to develop a long term approach to this issue... I believe my statement today combines scientific rigour and clear accountability." | He added: "Governments of all parties have struggled to develop a long term approach to this issue... I believe my statement today combines scientific rigour and clear accountability." |
| The process is likely to take a long time - some predict that constructing a multi-billion pound repository could take 40 years. | The process is likely to take a long time - some predict that constructing a multi-billion pound repository could take 40 years. |
| Countries such as France, Germany, Japan, Sweden and the US are also adopting "geological disposal" for radioactive waste, he said. | Countries such as France, Germany, Japan, Sweden and the US are also adopting "geological disposal" for radioactive waste, he said. |
| Finland is already building an underground facility and is on course to become the first country in the world to dispose of nuclear waste in such a way. | |
| Like it or not, it is there and it has to be dealt with Peter AinsworthShadow environment secretary | Like it or not, it is there and it has to be dealt with Peter AinsworthShadow environment secretary |
| Mr Miliband said the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, accountable to independent regulators, would be responsible for the process - not radioactive waste management group Nirex. | Mr Miliband said the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, accountable to independent regulators, would be responsible for the process - not radioactive waste management group Nirex. |
| The NDA is responsible for "civil legacy" and "low level" radioactive waste and it wants one body to be responsible for all, he said. | The NDA is responsible for "civil legacy" and "low level" radioactive waste and it wants one body to be responsible for all, he said. |
| Shadow environment secretary Peter Ainsworth said there was a potential conflict of interest in giving responsibility to an authority which owns nuclear facilities. | Shadow environment secretary Peter Ainsworth said there was a potential conflict of interest in giving responsibility to an authority which owns nuclear facilities. |
| But he said he welcomed the fact the government was following CORWM's advice as there was an urgent need to find a long-term solution to historic nuclear waste. | But he said he welcomed the fact the government was following CORWM's advice as there was an urgent need to find a long-term solution to historic nuclear waste. |
| "Like it or not, it is there and it has to be dealt with," he said. | "Like it or not, it is there and it has to be dealt with," he said. |
| But Chris Huhne, for the Lib Dems, said Mr Miliband had "failed to give a copper-bottomed guarantee that communities would not ultimately have nuclear waste sites imposed on them". | But Chris Huhne, for the Lib Dems, said Mr Miliband had "failed to give a copper-bottomed guarantee that communities would not ultimately have nuclear waste sites imposed on them". |
| The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management report, published in July, said waste would need to be buried at least 500m (1,640ft) below the surface. | The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management report, published in July, said waste would need to be buried at least 500m (1,640ft) below the surface. |
| But it recognised that public resistance would be an obstacle - as it had in proposals for deep disposal in the 1980s, which were abandoned, and urged the government to seek "public willingness". | But it recognised that public resistance would be an obstacle - as it had in proposals for deep disposal in the 1980s, which were abandoned, and urged the government to seek "public willingness". |
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