Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Nuclear waste to be dumped in Lincolnshire...?

Will Lincolnshire become a dumping ground for nuclear waste? The geology of the county is eminently suitable, according to a leading geo-scientist.

The Government is already asking local authorities to volunteer to take nuclear waste as they consider building the next generation of nuclear power.

Professor Bruce Yardley, a geo-scientist at the University of Leeds told the BBC’s Politics Show over the weekend that Lincolnshire has been identified as a prime location for nuclear waste storage.

It’s early days and Conservative Leader of Lincolnshire County Council - Martin Hill - gave a fair response when asked for his reaction by BBC Radio Lincolnshire.

There’s obviously plusses and minuses in anything, even nuclear waste…but if it was considered something we could look at, we would still have to and would wish to consult with the local people of Lincolnshire, especially those who would be in the affected area and take their views strongly into account.
Perhaps more predictably, Friends of the Earth in Lincolnshire rejected the idea out of hand. They are totally opposed to the dumping of nuclear waste underground.

FoE local spokesperson Carry Lister told BBC Radio Lincolnshire:
Nuclear waste can remain highly radioactive and dangerous for 10s of thousands of years. We cannot guarantee that a dump of this sort can safely protect that waste for that amount of time, so we cannot guarantee the safety of communities in the future.
Professor Yardley admits there isn’t a single perfect site but believes Lincolnshire people need to understand it’s safer here than elsewhere.

This one has all the makings of a real hot potato...

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just in case you don't get Look North in your part of the world (I even get it whne I am in London on Sky Channel 977) Martin Hill, the Leader of the Conservative Group and Ledaer of Lincolnshire County Council denied this whole story and the fact that Lincolnshire would be used a dumping ground in a recent interview with Peter Levy so stop scaremongering Phil!

If anyone is at fault here it is the Labour Central Government.

Anonymous said...

Phil - if it leaked the potatos would certainly be "hot" - radioactive hot!!Seriously though even with bundles of cash from central government to entice local government to accept a nuclear waste dump the voters will never tolerate it - an absolute electoral wipeout locally for any political group that tries to make this happen in Lincolnshire.We saw the fury over gas at Welton and that was a storm in an eggcup compared to what this would turn into.
I saw Mr Hills piece on the Politics Show and Look North and he has taken a responsible position bearing in mind he is leader of LCC but we all know what the public think on this one.If Govt can not sell the Euro to the British people they certainly wont sell a nuclear Lincolnshire Wolds to the people of Lincolnshire.

Im sure David Milliband will be looking for a few billion to entice some sucker of a local authority to take it all.Suspect it has a lot more to do with Blairs deal with Chirac/EDF to build new Nuclear Plants and some trade off as part of that deal than what we have got to date.
Doesnt Govt move in mysterious ways!!

fairdealphil said...

geoffrey:

no, i didn't see BBC Look North - but I am quoting Martin Hill verbatim on BBC Lincs when he said we'd listen to the case made and consult local people.

read my post geoffrey: i said i thought Martin's response was
fair.

i'm not surprised it's all Labour's fault...

it's raining here. i blame Tony Blair.

fairdealphil said...

anonymous:

i agree that Martin Hill is right to be cautious and not simply reject the thought out of hand without hearing the considered case both for and against.

Anonymous said...

I personally prefer a bacon sandwich and a good book to nuclear waste, but that's just my opinion.

Anonymous said...

No doubt Blair's response would be that it rained more under the Tories. If he gets blamed for stuff that is not his fault, then he has richly deserved such "unfair" treatment.

fairdealphil said...

Michael:

love your objectivity.

isn't it amazing how comments by the Tory Leader of Lincs CC Martin Hill become Blair's fault...

Seems some people only have two rules for life and everything:

Rule Number One: Blair/Labour's to blame.

Rule Number Two: If it's proved that Blair/Labour's not to blame, then Rule Number one will apply!

Anonymous said...

I vaguely recall an online consultation by Lincs County Council regarding this topic some time ago. If I remember the questionaire mentioned sums of money available to the county should they agree to store waste. The survey was well constructed - ie money, the type of container used with all the safety issues maintained etc. It was reassuring about waste storage and to be honest my knowledge is so scant about storage I did not pay much attention. This is from memory so I hope I have correctly reflected the survey and not just my impressions!

Does anyone else recall this survey? If we have been consulted then consideration of sites in Lincolnshire has/is being considered. I will have to start reading up on all of this as I do not know the full implications.

Anonymous said...

I remember a consultation in the mid-eighties if that helps. I was living in Grantham at the time and one of the sites was near us, ISTR

fairdealphil said...

Liz:

Thanks for your comments.

I don't recall any formal consultation on this issue in the five years I've been on the county council.

I'll check with some of the longer serving members and will report back...