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New nukes could mean a five-fold increase in dangerous waste

A new generation of nuclear power stations would increase five-fold the amount of a lethal and long-lasting form of highly radioactive nuclear waste stored in the UK, official figures show. The analysis, by a government-sponsored committee of experts, reveals the scale of the legacy to future generations by building nuclear plants. It comes as the nuclear industry and supporters are pressing ministers to approve reactors in the face of uncertainty over gas supplies.The figures reveal that spent uranium fuel rods from new power stations would almost triple radioactivity in the current inventory of UK nuclear waste. They contrast with claims that new reactors would create far less waste than predecessors. BNFL says a new generation of plants would add only 10% to the volume of waste. Experts say this is misleading because the majority of existing waste is made up of bulky, less hazardous material.

Chris Murray, chief executive of nuclear waste management body Nirex, said: "The volume is not the whole story. We need to be very exact about what type of waste new reactors would actually produce and how it needs to be dealt with."

In 2003 the Commons select committee on science and technology said BNFL's argument that new reactors would only produce 10% more waste meant that "the waste issue cannot be used as an argument against further nuclear build".

The figures have been prepared by Corwm, the committee on radioactive waste management. They use yet-to-be published government accounts of the amount of nuclear waste in the UK. They assume Britain will build 10 new reactors and will not reprocess the spent fuel. Corwm says this would produce an extra 31,900 cubic metres of spent fuel, on top of the 8,150 cubic metres currently stored.

Prof MacKerron, chair of CoRWM says this could significantly increase the size of a permanent disposal site. Corwm is weighing up several long-term disposal options. A decision is expected this summer.

Guardian 9th January 2006