In reply to Ice Nine:
> (In reply to Gordon Stainforth)
>
> Yes it was :
>
> Copeland Yes, Allerdale No, Cumbria NO!
for accuracy both Allerdale and Copeland voted yes, it was only Cumbria County who votes No.
Both Allerdale and Copeland Council leaders are now seeking a meeting with Central Government for clarification on how they may continue in the process the reasons other posters identify : namely - the waste is currently stored above ground and the next stage of the process was to determine whether, based on evidence gathered, there was suitable geology (as suggested by British Geological Survey, but disagreed with by some other geologists).
This week Cumbria Toursim reported there was no evidence to indicate firmly whether any blight might arise from a potential repository - never mind a stage 4 survey.
http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/impact-of-nuclear-dump-on-cumbria-s-touri...
I don't know whether Cumbria is suitable or not for a repository but it would have been good to find out whether the geology was suited and whether it would be safe. I'd like to have based my "opinion" on facts rather than emotion.
People talk of other power suplies but please bear in mind that much of the waste we are talking about dealing with is a consequence of the nation's decision in the 30s and 40s to go for a nuclear bomb, to protect the UK. I don't agree or diagree with that decision because I wasn't there in times of the second World War, but people must understand that this was society's decision at that time (or government's decision at that time), the wastes from subsequent power generation are also there but if we hand't gone for the nuclear weapon we would very likely have taken some different science approaches to the type of nuclear reactors and fuels than we would have done in the light of the aim being generating material suitable for bombs.
For power stations now, the wastes to be generated are considered, quite rightly, even before they are built.
Will be interesting to see what our society decides to do with the existing wastes from its nuclear weapon (and power) heritage - leave in over ground facilities in West Cumbria (and carry on bringing waste in there from Scotland and Wales because they don't want it in their locations) or move it somewhere else, perhaps underground, safer for the longer term.
In Finland they are well on the way to building their respository, communities were happy to have the site located near them, in fact two communities vied to have the site in their location. We need to look at what they did and learn from it. This doesn't suggest Cumbria is the right location but it does mean that we, in society have to accept we need enough information to make the decision - not just over-react on the basis of poor knowledge and strong emotion.
Sorry for Wall of Text
S
PS I live, climb, run, bike, bring up a family in West Cumbria but do not work in the nuclear industry