By Julian Whittle

Last updated at 11:40, Friday, 07 September 2012

The underground nuclear waste repository being considered for Cumbria could be as large as 23sq km – the same size as the city of Carlisle.

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The sheer scale of theproposed development was spelled out to county councillors when they received a report from the West Cumbria Managing Radioactive Waste Safely Partnership this week.

They heard that:

The repository would be between 200 and 1,000 metres below ground and could range from 6km sq (about the size of Sellafield), to 23km sq (as big as Carlisle);

Rock excavation would be similar in scale to the Channel Tunnel, which involved the removal of 13 million cubic metres of material;

Construction and operation costs are estimated at between £12bn and £20bn;

It is unclear precisely what types of waste would be buried;

There are doubts as to whether the geology of west Cumbria is suitable.

The British Geological Survey has carried out a screening exercise that has already ruled out a quarter of Allerdale and Copeland.

Much of the rest is within the Lake District National Park, which would probably not be considered onenvironmental grounds.

That leaves a coastal strip between Egremont and Drigg, a sizeable part of the solway plain west of Abbeytown, and a corridor just outside the national park from Egremont through Cockermouth to Thursby.

The councils must decide if they want to move to the next stage, a formal geological study, which should make it clear whether any of these areas would be suitable.

The Government is convinced that burying nuclear waste is the best way to deal with it.

It is promising “community benefits” to the area that accepts a repository, although it has not said what these would be. They could include investment in roads, hospitals and schools.

County councillors were divided as to whether they should proceed, although the majority of those who spoke in the debate on Wednesday wanted Cumbria to withdraw.

Liberal Democrat Stan Collins – who was the party’s candidate for Workington at the last General Election – said it was likely there would be two ice ages before the radioactivity in the waste decayed to a safe level.

He added: “If you put it under solid rock now you don’t know how the rock will react under an ice sheet.”

The News & Star reported yesterday that some councillors feared the Government would force Cumbria to accept a repository if the council did not pull out now.

The final decision rests with the ruling cabinet – rank and file councillors do not get a vote.

The majority of Cumbrian parish and town councils are opposed to a repository.

Silloth town council is the latest to come out against it, passing a resolution on Monday calling on Allerdale and Cumbria to withdraw their expressions of interest.

The resolution reads: “We have no confidence in the right of withdrawal at future stages in the process. We believe that the geology of the Solway Plain is not suitable for such an undertaking.

“Please do not expose our people to further risk and worry by continuing.”

If a suitable site is found, construction is due to start in 2025 and the repository would start accepting waste in 2040.

First published at 11:28, Friday, 07 September 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk