Stop Radioactive Waste Metal Storage – Port of Workington, Cumbria

Human rights in Cumbria, England, GB

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The nuclear industry is desperate to get shot of its radioactive wastes. New ways are being found to "dispose" of nuclear materials into the public realm including radioactive scrap metal.

The only radioactive scrap metal "recycling" facility in the UK opened in 2009 in Cumbria at the Lillyhall business park near Workington. There was huge opposition to the plan from other local businesses, despite this the plan was approved. Now there is so much radioactive scrap metal from decommissioning nuclear plants to get rid of that the Lillyhall site is overflowing.

EDF now want to store up to 80 shipping containers of radioactive scrap metal at the Port of Workington. The Port of Workington has suffered from flooding in the past especially at high tides. The radioactive waste is called "low level" but is very dangerous to human health and the environment. Sellafield was fined almost £1 million in 2013 for mistakenly dumping low level radioactive waste at a local tip. Now low level radioactive scrap metal is proposed for storage at the Port of Workington just a few hundred metres from residential areas. EDF say there may be "hotspots" in the waste.

Cumbria County Council own and manage the Port of Workington but councillors have not had a chance to discuss and vote on this issue as it has gone through 'on the nod' as "permitted development." This is outragous. Cumbria County Council must allow discussion and vote on the plan to store 80 shipping containers of radioactive scrap metal at the Port of Workington - each container would be allowed up to a full year languishing at the mouth of the River Derwent on the Solway Firth. The nuclear industry's shadow is spreading, stop and contain it now instead of dispersing to the public realm.