Radioactive Waste Management Committee Annual Report Published

The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) has published its latest and 10th annual report providing a summary of CoRWM’s work in the 12 month period from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014, and on the advice that it has provided to its sponsoring Ministers in the Department for Environment & Climate Change (DECC), and the devolved administrations.

CoRWM is responsible for scrutinising Government and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on the long term management of higher activity radioactive wastes.

Earlier this year, CoRWM members visited Sellafield. The visit informed them on the current progress and challenges in the management of radioactive wastes at the site.

The tenth annual report summary details the activities of the committee in relation to the current debate over the storing of nuclear waste, using geological disposal, and the determination of whereabouts in the country such a facility will be established.

The public concern over the burying or encapsulating nuclear waste in deeply submerged ground rock, which takes thousands of years to deteriorate before no longer posing a nuclear radiation contamination threat to all forms of life on this planet; has not been addressed.

The Executive Summary explains:

‘The majority of CoRWM’s work has focused on providing advice on the UK Government’s review of the policy for siting a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF). At a number of stages throughout the review CoRWM was asked for, and provided, advice to DECC.

CoRWM made a number of key recommendations to DECC.

* The first was that there should be a change of emphasis away from a concentration on geology, to that of the role of the safety case.

* The second was to develop a new siting process that was based upon a continuum of engagement rather than series of distinct stages.

* The third was to leave the option open for more than one repository.

* The fourth was that in order to deliver a successful siting process that would enable one or more communities to engage and eventually have the confidence to volunteer to host a GDF, CoRWM recommended that there was a need to have a clear and robust legislative and regulatory regime to control the design, construction, operation and eventual closure of a GDF.

CoRWM also cautioned against publication of the results of geological screening without making clear the extent of the uncertainties associated with the geological information at the depths associated with a GDF.’

The summary comments further on the Government’s nuclear waste policy:

‘CoRWM is also of the view that the UK Government needs to promote the importance of the geological disposal of radioactive waste. CoRWM also believes that in order to build trust with potential host communities, the Government should do as much as possible to explain what it is trying to achieve, especially in relation to the need to deal with the nation’s legacy wastes and hence reduce the burden on future generations.

CoRWM believes that on the basis of its scrutiny of DECC’s GDF programme, the aim to improve the GDF siting policy though a call for evidence followed by a comprehensive consultation, was genuine and robust.

However, CoRWM believes that it will be necessary for the Government to sustain the level of commitment, through the adequate and continuous provision of resource to ensure that momentum is maintained.’

You can download the full 78 page report, which includes the Executive Summary from the E-Library Database by using search word ‘CoRWM’

Source: Gov.UK

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