‘Wales should not be a nuclear waste dump’

WALES shouldn’t be turned into a “nuclear dumping-ground,” the Welsh shadow energy minister has warned.

Llyr Gruffydd AM has spoken out in the wake of council leaders across Wales and England being asked to play host to nuclear waste disposal facilities.

He claimed the invitation, sent out by Bruce McKirdy, managing director of Radioactive Waste Management Limited, includes financial inducements to cash-strapped local authorities to be a part of the process.

Mr Gruffydd AM said: “Plans to create a disposal site that would store 650,000 cubic metres of waste in containers should be rejected for Wales.

“There are many geological constraints, including proximity of underground acquifers, coal deposits, as well as faultlines and unsuitable rock formations. These sites should also be well away from population centres.

“Wales has hosted more than its share of nuclear facilities in the past and it’s high time we stood up and said ‘enough is enough’ to dumping waste here. “Nuclear waste disposal is a huge issue.” It has been indicated the decision to host the meetings in Swansea and Llandudno was based on both areas being relatively central and easy to access by car or public transport rather than the public calling for the UK’s stockpile of the most dangerous radioactive waste being based in either location.

Government-run Radioactive Waste Management (RWM) is holding an event in Swansea on Tuesday, March 12, and one in Llandudno on Thursday, March 14, on the plans.