High Level Nuke Dump Opposition

Radiation Free Lakeland are based in South Lakeland on the border with Lancashire and regularly witness radioactive wastes enroute to Sellafield past the RSPB's Leighton Moss reserve, across the Morecambe Bay viaduct on the one side and through Greyrigg on the other.

The 'Partnership' process is aimed solely at steering 'volunteer' communities into the acceptance of deep disposal of high level nuclear wastes. The safer option of above ground and retrievable waste management is not even on the agenda. If the 'volunteer' process fails then the government "will look at other options" to force 'disposal', [DECC – NewBuild RadWaste Summary (Nov ’09) – para 106 page 23 ]

We take this to mean forcing an underground high level nuclear dump (or more than one dump) on communities. The MRWS process is looking to include NewBuild wastes, and the pronuclear Department of Energy and Climate Change is desperate to give the appearance of having 'solved the problem of nuclear waste 'in order to go ahead with new build. In March of this year Nuclear Waste Advisory Associates identified over 100 problems with disposal, and a report published this month by Dr Helen Wallace, for Greenpeace International confirms that deep disposal of radioactive wastes has the “potential for significant radiological releases through a variety of mechanisms”.

Deep disposal of radioactive waste is not the best way to protect people from the dangers that these wastes present.

Radiation Free Lakeland have formally registered their firm commitment to an expression of opposition to the so called Managing Radioactive Wastes Safely Partnership which is doublespeak for Out of Sight Out of Mind- whatever the consequences.

Groups/communities should register their opposition to ensure a viable future for Cumbria and the North West.

letter to "Managing Radioactive Wastes Safely Partnership
Subject: Invitation to join Managing Radioactive Wastes Safely Partnership
From:  mariannebirkby@mariannebirkby.plus.comDate: Sun, September 19, 2010 3:52 pm
To: "Rhuari Bennett"

Dear Rhuari, Very Many thanks for the formal invitation to Radiation Free Lakeland to join the MRWS Partnership. Yes we would very much like to be kept informed of activities of the Partnership but will decline membership for the following reasons. We are based in South Lakeland on the border with Lancashire and regularly witness radioactive wastes enroute to Sellafield past the RSPB's LeightonMoss reserve, across the Morecambe Bay viaduct on the one side and through Greyrigg on the other. We understand that your role in the Partnership is as facilitator 'to achieve an outcome' ( http://www.3kq.co.uk/#/the-3-the-k-and-the-q/4529763646).

The Partnership process is aimed solely at steering 'volunteer' communities into the acceptance of deep disposal of high level nuclear wastes rather than looking at the safer option of above ground and retrievable waste management. If the 'volunteer' process fails then the government "will look at other options", [DECC – NewBuild RadWaste Summary (Nov ’09) – para 106 page 23 ] We take this to mean forcing an underground nuclear dump (or more than one dump) on communities. The MRWS process is looking to include NewBuild wastes, and the pronuclear Department of Energy and Climate Change is desperate to give the appearance of having 'solved the problem of nuclear waste 'in order to go ahead with new build.

In March of this year Nuclear Waste Advisory Associates identified over 100 problems with disposal, and a report published this month by Dr Helen Wallace, for Greenpeace International (attached) confirms that deep disposal of radioactive wastes has the “potential for significant radiological releases through a variety of mechanisms”. Clearly deep disposal of radioactive waste is not the best way to protect people from the dangers that these wastes present.

We would therefore like to formally register Radiation Free Lakeland's firm commitment to an expression of opposition to the so called Managing Radioactive Wastes Safely Partnership which is doublespeak for Out of Sight Out of Mind- whatever the consequences.

yours sincerely, Marianne Birkby on behalf of Radiation Free Lakeland