The Ministry of Defence (MoD) will this week (14 November) begin consulting local people on the possibility of storing radioactive waste from nuclear powered submarines at Atomic Weapons Establishment sites in West Berkshire, and Nuclear Information Service has prepared a briefing for local people to help them understand the issues involved and have their say on the proposals (available to download at the bottom of this article).
MoD are consulting on plans for storing waste from decommissioned submarines at five candidate sites around the country, two of which are the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) sites at Aldermaston and Burghfield. A series of local exhibitions and workshops is being organised to inform local communities about the proposals and seek their feedback.
Nuclear Information Service (NIS) has been closely involved with the MoD submarine dismantling project as a member of the project's independent Advisory Group. NIS supports the MoD's consultation programme, but warns that unresolved questions relating to radioactive waste management mean that the decision on storage arrangements for waste from submarines will not be a simple one.
The NIS briefing aims to outline some of these issues for local people so they are can make informed contributions to the consultation process – and insist on any safeguards needed to protect their interests in the event that an AWE site is chosen for storage of submarine waste.
Download the briefing here: