• THE WAY FORWARD

    In October 2006, the independent Committee on Radioactive Waste Management recommended that geological disposal represents the best way forward for the long-term management of radioactive waste. The UK Government accepted this recommendation and agreed to consult upon a framework for implementation.

    The principle of geological disposal is to isolate the waste deep inside a suitable rock formation, to ensure that no significant quantity of radioactivity ever reaches the surface environment. This would allow the waste to decay safely over the course of hundreds of thousands of years.

    The repository itself will be a major engineering project, costing in the region of £10 billion (at 2003 prices) and will present a wide range of technical challenges. An underground containment facility will need to be constructed, using both natural and manmade barriers to maximise the safety and security of the waste. Much of the new directorate’s role in the early years will be to investigate the different options available and to put in place safety cases for each specific aspect of the repository’s design.

    When it comes to selecting the eventual site (or indeed sites) for the repository, the Government will apply the principle of voluntarism and partnership. Communities who express an interest in hosting the repository will enter into a staged decision-making process which will allow feasibility issues, safety concerns and economic benefits to be explored as fully as possible.