Antinuclear

Earthquake risk for UK nuclear waste site

“It would be stupidity to bury high levels of radioactive material underground in areas which can be affected by earthquakes.

Earthquake ‘could hit plans to bury nuclear waste’, Whitehaven News, By Alan Irving, 22 December 2010 WEST Cumbria’s potential for burying highly radioactive nuclear waste could have taken a step back as a result of Tuesday night’s earthquake, say campaigners.

Seismic tremors have to be seriously considered as part of a watertight safety review if a site is eventually found which appears to have the right geology.

With large areas of Cumbria already unsuitable, Copeland is seen by many as a favoured site.

But yesterday campaigner Martin Forwood of Cumbrians Opposed to a Radioactive Environment said it would be “dangerous folly” to consider anywhere in West Cumbria for a repository.

He told The Whitehaven News: “Our own house (at Broughton Mills) shook with the explosion. It was a real tremor and as soon as we heard it our first thought was: ‘This has put paid to the nuclear waste dump.’

“It would be stupidity to bury high levels of radioactive material underground in areas which can be affected by earthquakes.

“[Tuesday] night’s was felt to a depth of eight-and-a-half miles. A tremor this far underground where nuclear waste happened to be buried would allow water into the dump and then consequences would be dangerous.”

December 22, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized