News

Scotland should kill off nuke plans

Proposals for new nuclear power stations should now be "killed off" say Friends of the Earth Scotland after the publication of the draft conclusions of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) which says that its report, due July 2006, will "not solve" the nuclear waste problem.

The Scottish Executive Partnership Agreement between the two governing Parties, Labour and the Liberal Democrats, says:

"We will not support the further development of nuclear power stations while waste management issues remain unresolved."

According to The Scotsman, the Scottish Labour Party has realised it will need a new policy once CoRWM has reported, so it has begun an internal consultation process to come up with a new, updated policy on nuclear power. The Liberal Democrats are against any new nuclear stations in Scotland and will push Labour to adopt a similar policy, but First Minister, Jack McConnell, wants the Scottish Labour Party to have its own policy for its manifesto for the May 2007 Scottish Parliamentary elections, even though this could lead to a divide with his coalition partners.

Scotsman 16th January 2006

However, CORWM’s draft final report (paragraph 64) states: "If Ministers accept our recommendations, the UK's nuclear waste problem is not solved. Having a strategy is a start. The real challenge follows."

Similarly, CoRWM chair, Professor Gordon MacKerron, told the Nuclear Industry Association Energy Choices Conference in December 2004 that whilst publication of the CoRWM recommendations in July 2006 might be a “significant moment”, it is only the beginning - the issue is not resolved just because we have reported our advice.

Friends of the Earth point of that, logically, this means that new nuclear build should still be ruled out. Chief Executive Duncan Maclaren says:

“… any talk of a new generation of nuclear power stations is premature and misplaced. To fulfil its partnership agreement commitment, the Scottish Executive must respond to the UK Energy Review with a clear message that new nuclear build in Scotland remains unacceptable until the waste issue is truly resolved.”

BBC Scotland environment correspondent Louise Batchelor explains:

"Once the committee makes its recommendation, even supposing the government accept it … there's still the huge problem of public acceptability, finding a place to actually put it, going through the planning process and so on."

BBC 26th January 2006

Jack McConnell, first minister, has emphasised his executive would use its planning powers to veto any new nuclear stations in Scotland if the question of waste was not solved.

Scottish Herald 26th January 2006

Even at the UK level Professor Gordon MacKerron, says: "The Government always made a commitment that it will need to solve the waste problem before a rebuild decision. "

The Independent 24th January 2006

CoRWM's draft report identifies three keys steps in solving the nuclear waste problem:

1. Choosing the best management option.
2. Deciding on a clear plan for implementation and how a site or sites will be selected.
3. The most challenging step is identifying a host community and actually implementing the preferred option.

CoRWM's report in July will only deal with the first step. Although CoRWM will offer the Government advice on step 2 in a second report in December 2006, there will still be a long way to go after that. As environmental consultant, Pete Roche, told Holyrood Magazine, CoRWM’s report is “quite likely to lead to some sort of siting process and that's when the shit's really going to hit the fan."

Holyrood Magazine 23rd January 2006