Radwaste
RESIDENTS have slammed plans for a nuclear waste dump on their doorstep. The proposals, which would see an underground storage facility built between Millom and Whitehaven, were discussed at a drop-in session yesterday. The session, organised by the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely Partnership, took place in Millom Network Centre and was attended by more than 100 people. The partnership was formed in 2008 after the government launched a search for an underground storage facility for nuclear waste. Allerdale Borough Council, Copeland Borough Council and Cumbria County Council are so far the only authorities to register their interest. However, the decision on whether to have the facility rests with the public. The site would be situated between 200m and 1,000m below the surface and despite an initial geological survey being completed, no potential sites would be named for another five to 10 years. Millom hosted the first of 10 drop-in sessions to gauge public opinion to the scheme, as part of an ongoing consultation. Frances Rand, of Silecroft, voiced concerns for tourism in the county. She said: “I find it horrifying to think anything could spoil the National Park – it is one of our national treasures. It brings an enormous amount of money into the area through tourism but as soon as you start to mention nuclear waste, tourism could be gone.” Martin Forewood, chairman of Cumbrians Opposed to a Radioactive Environment, said a surface storage facility provided a better option. He said: “We don’t believe a geological storage facility is the right management option.
NW Evening Mail 20th Nov 2010 more >>
Hinkley
Stop Hinkley Newsletter
SHE November 2010 more >>
Nuclear Research
Construction work on the UK’s new Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre was officially started this week by Her Majesty the Queen, who visited the site accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh. The Nuclear AMRC is a collaboration between the Universities of Sheffield and Manchester, with the backing of the Government and of companies involved in building the new generation of civil nuclear power stations, such as Areva, Westinghouse, Rolls-Royce, Sheffield Forgemasters and Tata Steel Europe.
IET 19th Nov 2010 more >>
Litvinenko
Scotland Yard is investigating a claim that the Russian secret police received a consignment of polonium just nine weeks before the former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko was murdered in London with a cup of tea laced with the radioactive substance. If true, it is one of the strongest clues yet to link Moscow with the assassination of the dissident.
Sunday Times 21st Nov 2010 more >>
Iran
Britain is to further restrict exports to Iran after the government admitted there was a risk that specialist equipment currently approved for sale to the Middle Eastern country could help it develop its nuclear programme. Until this month the government had allowed British companies to export items such as nickel alloy pipes, vacuum pumps, radiation detectors, spectrometers, heat furnaces and specialised gaskets.
Observer 21st Nov 2010 more >>
North Korea
An American nuclear scientist says he was shown a vast new nuclear facility when he visited North Korea last week. Dr Siegfried Hecker said he had been shown hundreds of centrifuges for enriching uranium, which can be used for making nuclear weapons. The Stanford University scientist was stunned at how sophisticated the new plant was, he told The New York Times.
BBC 21st Nov 2010 more >>
Trident
PRIME Minister David Cameron has defended the decision to delay Trident at a cost of more than £1bn to the taxpayer.
NW Evening Mail 20th Nov 2010 more >>
Disarmament
US president closes Nato summit with appeal to approve New Start treaty struck with Moscow.
Observer 21st Nov 2010 more >>
US senators must decide, but in Poland’s view, Nato and Europe have everything to gain from this nuclear arms control treaty
Guardian Comment 20th Nov 2010 more >>
Coal
A highly controversial plan for a new coal-fired power station at Hunterston in North Ayrshire looks doomed because Scottish ministers have quietly withdrawn their backing for the scheme. A new Scottish Government policy statement on electricity generation does not endorse the £3 billion plant proposed by Clydeport’s owners, Peeling Holdings. Instead it makes plain that Scotland’s electricity needs can be met without it, due to the large projected growth in wind power and other renewables. This is a dramatic shift from the government’s 2008 National Planning Framework, which supported the Hunterston coal station as a national development needed to meet electricity demand. An application to build the plant has been met by more than 16,000 objections, with environmental campaigners, faith groups and local businesses uniting to oppose the development. It was also the subject of a legal challenge in the Court of Session last week from a bird watcher, claiming local people were not consulted on the need for the plant. But the new policy, posted online last Wednesday – the same day as the budget – signals a change of heart by Scottish ministers. “There is no current need for an increase in overall thermal capacity,” the policy statement says.
Sunday Herald 21st Nov 2010 more >>
Engineers are testing equipment for Britain’s first full-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) device. The lessons learned on this windswept corner of Fife will be used to design a full-scale machine that could turn coal-burning power plants into eco-friendly generating stations.
Observer 21st Nov 2010 more >>
