Nuclear Waste
Local councils must not be allowed to enter a squalid bidding war for these poinsonous dumps.
Times 2nd August 2006
Green group Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to implement urgent interim measures for nuclear waste storage and disposal, following this week’s announcement that a ‘geological’ solution would be used long-term. In recommending the deep underground disposal option, the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) also outlined the issues that could see the development delayed, such as the fact that no site has been chosen for the facility and the approval process could take as long as 100 years.
Green Consumer Guide 2nd August 2006
Mr McConnell has been under pressure to make a decision on whether to replace ageing reactors in Scotland, but deferred a decision until a consensus could be reached on how best to dispose of nuclear waste. Yet despite the report’s conclusion, a spokesman for the minister said that the issue was still unresolved and needed to be looked at by ministers, presumably in London.
Energy Business Review 2nd August 2006
A weekly look at what bloggers have to say about the issues in the news. This week a group of scientists recommended storing nuclear waste deep underground. Nirex has already identified 12 sites in the UK as having the right geology for such an idea, including Sandray and Fuday in the Western Isles and Altnabreac in Caithness.
Herald 2nd August 2006
Scientists claim to have discovered a way of speeding up the decay of nuclear waste so that it can be rendered harmless within a few decades, instead of thousands of years. The technique proposed by German physicists involves slashing the half-life of alpha-emitting material by embedding it in metal and cooling the metal to a few degrees above absolute zero.
Telegraph 2nd August 2006
Iran
Iran’s President yesterday rejected a UN Security Council resolution that would give his country until the end of this month to suspend uranium enrichment.
Herald 2nd August 2006
Devonport
Highly radioactive waste is being stored at Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth because defuelling facilities for nuclear-powered submarines are not yet ready. The material is being stored on two nuclear-powered vessels, HMS Spartan and HMS Splendid.
Western Morning News 2nd August 2006
