A proposal for Allerdale council to withdraw from discussions about an underground nuclear waste facility was voted down by members who said it would “just kick the can down the road”.
Allerdale council’s leadership voted last month to join a Community Partnership, which will discuss the area’s potential to host a Geological Disposal Facility.
The underground facility would store high level radioactive waste.
But at a meeting on Wednesday, Ian Greaney of the Allerdale Independents, proposed that the council withdraws from discussions around GDF based on environmental concerns.
He said that despite an in-depth understanding of the need to build a GDF in the UK and constructive talks with key players, he is concerned that the process is flawed.
Cllr Greaney, who represents Maryport North ward, said: “The justification for the motion is the significant technical omissions from the assessment which renders approximately 50 per cent of the proposed designated Search Area completely out of scope, a lack of community participation in the decision making process and I believe a politically driven agenda by the Conservative Allerdale executive committee.
“The real crux of the issue for me, though, is the newly defined Allerdale GDF designated Search Area includes 50 per cent of the exclusion zone as determined by the British Geological Survey Report.”
The Search Area defined by Allerdale GDF working group as being potentially suitable includes Aspatria; Broughton St Bridgets; Dalton; Ellen & Gilcrux; Flimby; Harrington & Salterbeck; Maryport North; Maryport South; Moorclose & Moss Bay; Seaton & Northside; St John’s; St Michael’s and Stainburn & Clifton.
Underground storage of nuclear waste has been considered in Cumbria previously under the West Cumbria Managing Radioactive Waste Safely Partnership, when a survey was carried out that appeared to rule out rock types in Allerdale, but the Conservative leadership pointed out that it was a desk-based study.
Allerdale GDF working group has said: “The presence of natural resources, whilst important to siting, may not automatically exclude an entire area from further consideration and would be evaluated in detail as part of a full site characterisation process.”
Marion Fitzgerald, deputy leader and the council’s representative on the Community Partnership said: “Participation of a principal local authority is necessary for a Community Partnership to be formed.
“When one is formed it simply means that the conversation can continue and that Radioactive Waste Management [which is co-ordinating the process] will be able to carry out further, more detailed investigations. It means just that and nothing more.”
Labour councillor Mike Heaslip said: “I remember when the previous process came to an end, when the county council basically vetoed any further progress before we’d been able to even begin establishing whether there was potentially a willing host community. Or before we’d even begun to establish definitively what the geology of the area was.
“Unfortunately that decision left us twisting in the wind. Unfortunately Cllr Greaney’s motion will simply kick the can down the road again for a few more years and leave us twisting in the wind again.”
Conservative councillor Patrick Gorill also spoke against the motion. He represents Ellen & Gilcrux and spoke against the decision to join the Community Partnership in November.
He said: “My own personal views on storing nuclear underground are shared by the community I represent, and I’ve shared those with the executive but to take this motion forward means we’re going to be having this same conversation again in 10 to 15 years time.
“I think if we kick the can down the road again, it’s just irresponsible. If by moving forward with the decision to join the community partnership we can once and for all get the decision one way or another, then surely that has to be the right decision to make.”
In response to the arguments made Cllr Greaney said: “It isn’t a case of kicking the can down the road, it’s a case of doing things properly.”
But the motion was defeated with six votes for, 26 against and four abstentions.
