The UK government should begin to bury the country’s radioactive waste as soon as possible, reports the Royal Society.
The scientific body made its announcement as the panel tasked with finding a long-term solution to radioactive waste issued its final report.
The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) was set up three years ago by the government to investigate appropriate options for the disposal of radioactive waste. It has already reported deep geological disposal is the best option. The Royal Society agrees with this based on current scientific evidence.
A final disposal facility would be located several hundred metres underground and radioactive waste would be encased in tough material. The surrounding rock would be used as a barrier against leakage.
Around one third of land in the UK is thought to be geologically suitable for this purpose, although the CoRWM was specifically asked not to identify locations for storage in the UK.
“It is important we act with urgency because identifying appropriate sites and then consulting on and building these deep storage facilities will take decades,” commented Sir David Wallace, vice president of the Royal Society.
