Question

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they are making in their national survey to establish the most suitable, and least hazardous, geological sites for the long-term storage of nuclear waste.

As one of the actions in the 2014 Implementing Geological Disposal White Paper, Radioactive Waste Management Limited (RWM) are carrying out a national geological screening exercise, based on existing geological information. This screening exercise will not target or select individual sites for development of a geological disposal facility (GDF). Its purpose is to provide authoritative information that can be used in future discussions with communities thinking about possible GDF developments.

The process will involve two steps: guidance will be produced by RWM in 2015, which will be subject to expert review, by an Independent Review Panel established by the Geological Society, and public consultation. The final guidance will be applied during 2016, using the specialist expertise of the British Geological Survey. Outputs will be in the form of narratives describing characteristics of the geological environment across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the relevance of these characteristics to safety. There is a large range of potentially suitable geological environments in the UK, and no single ‘most suitable’ type of geological environment for a GDF. There are several programmes at an advanced stage in different parts of the world, focussing on different geological environments, each designed to be safe.

The Independent Review Panel held a public meeting with RWM on 23 June to discuss the draft screening guidance. This meeting was streamed live on YouTube and the draft guidance has been published on the web. RWM has given presentations to eleven Geological Society Regional Groups, and held six meetings with stakeholders, including Local Authority representatives and other members of the public who have expressed interest.

The public consultation on the draft screening guidance will take place in the autumn.

This work will support the process of formal engagement with communities interested in hosting a GDF, which will start in 2017. Current estimates are that it will take between 15 and 20 years to agree a site through the national siting process. After this, GDF construction should proceed from the 2030s, with disposal of radioactive waste in the facility starting from the 2040s.