6 February 2007
ROYAL SOCIETY OF CHEMISTRY (UNITED KINGDOM) -- An expert report into the UK's long term nuclear waste storage plans has concluded there are no insurmountable technical barriers to storing nuclear waste deep underground. But the report urges government policy makers to keep the public informed about their plans.
By the summer of 2007, the government hopes to unveil a report explaining how suitable storage sites can be selected. From the granite or crystalline rocks found in Scotland to the clays found through the Midlands and East of England, between a third and two-thirds of the UK is geologically suitable for storing waste some 300-1000 metres deep, Alan Hooper of Nirex UK told reporters at a press conference.
Another question facing the government is whether any repository should stay open for a time - allowing waste to be monitored and perhaps retrieved - or whether it should be instantly sealed. The scientific consensus was that sealing immediately was probably safer, said David Read of the University of Aberdeen.
Wherever nuclear waste ends up being buried, getting public consent will be just as important, experts warned. Even if the process went without a hitch from now on, it would take at least twenty years to complete, said Read.
Source: www.rsc.org
-Josh
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