How can local communities participate?
Why should local communities be interested?
Construction and operation of a geological disposal facility will be a multi-billion pound project that will provide skilled employment for hundreds of people over many decades. It will contribute greatly to the local economy and wider socio-economic framework. There could be spin-off industry benefits, infrastructure benefits, indirect benefits to local educational or academic resources, and positive impacts on local service industries that support the facility and its workforce. It is also likely to involve major investments in local transport facilities and other infrastructure, which would remain after the facility had been closed.
As such, hosting a geological disposal facility is likely to bring significant economic benefits to a community in terms of employment and infrastructure, maintained over a long period. Any community that ultimately hosts a geological disposal facility will be keen to understand and agree the nature of these benefits.
In addition there may be other benefits which may be commensurate with developing the social and economic wellbeing of a community that has decided to fulfil such an essential service to the nation.
Government does not believe it sensible to specify at this stage what specific mechanisms could be used, or to define the level or nature of benefits. Government remains open-minded, believing that any Benefits Package should be developed between communities, the Government and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) as discussions progress, taking into account local needs, affordability and value for money considerations.
Further information on Community Benefits can be found here.
How will the process work
Government believes that an approach based on voluntarism and partnership is the best means of siting a geological disposal facility. That means, one in which communities voluntarily express an interest in taking part in the process that could ultimately provide a site for a geological disposal facility. Initially communities will be invited to express an interest in finding out more about what hosting a geological disposal facility would mean for the community in the long-term.
Participation up until late in the process, when underground operations and construction are due to begin, will be without commitment to further stages, whether on the part of the community or Government. If at any stage a community or Government wished to withdraw, then its involvement in the process would stop.
Those that come forward will want information, time and the opportunity to consider and discuss plans for the development of the facility and to do this Government favours a partnership approach.
This means the setting up of a formal Community Siting Partnership such that the local communities work with the NDA's delivery organisation and with other relevant interested parties to achieve a successful outcome. This could be by ensuring that questions and concerns about the geological disposal facility siting, construction, operation, closure and post-closure are addressed and resolved as far as reasonably practicable and that the project contributes to a community’s further development and well-being.
Communities that set up and operate a Community Siting Partnership will incur costs so the work of a Partnership will also be supported by Government through an Engagement Package. This will assist communities in considering the issues.
The process will be staged, allowing all those involved to take stock before deciding whether or not to move to the next stage. Community Siting Partnerships will develop advice and recommendations for local Decision-Making Bodies who will take the decisions about moving to the next stage.
In parallel to ongoing community discussions increasingly detailed site assessments will be made. Criteria derived from various sources, including from requirements under Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will be used. Further information is available at www.nda.gov.uk/strategy/waste/geological-disposal.cfm
Further information on the stages involved in the process of implementing geological disposal can be found here.
Key principles
Government commits to an open and transparent approach which enables the public and stakeholders to be involved throughout the implementation process. The arrangements will be subject to strong independent regulation by the statutory regulators and there will be ongoing scrutiny and advice on the implementation programme provided by the independent Committee on Radioactive Waste Management.
Implementation will be undertaken on a staged basis, with clear decision points allowing progress to be reviewed and costs, affordability and value for money, safety, and environmental and sustainability impacts to be assessed before decisions are taken on how to move to the next stage.
The Right of Withdrawal is a key part of the voluntarism approach, intended to contribute to the development and maintenance of community confidence. Up until a late stage, when underground operations and construction are due to begin, if a community wished to withdraw then its involvement in the process would stop.
How to express an interest
With publication of its White Paper on 12 June 2008, Government invites communities to express an interest in opening up without commitment discussions on the possibility of hosting a geological disposal facility at some point in the future.
Government wishes to allow sufficient time for any community to consider expressing an interest. The option to do so will be left open of the foreseeable future and any Expressions of Interest further into the process, when Government is already engaged with other Communities, will be considered on a case by case basis.
Expressions of Interest in opening up such discussions or securing further information should be sent or emailed to:
Managing Radioactive Waste Safely Programme
4 C, Ergon House
Horseferry Road
London
SW1P 2AL
Phone: 020 7238 1728
Email:
Fax: 020 7238 6471
Should a community within Wales wish to put forward an Expression of Interest it should do so to the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG). If this were to happen the WAG would at that point consider its position in respect of the geological disposal programme and the specific Expression of Interest.
Radioactivity and Pollution Prevention Branch
Welsh Assembly Government
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ
Email:
Should a community in Northern Ireland want to respond to the invitation it should contact the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland. Should a community in Scotland want to respond, UK Government would refer it to the Scottish Executive through the appropriate devolution mechanisms.
Page last modified: 3 July 2008
Page published: 12 June 2008