The UK’s Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) has published its final recommendations for the long-term management of the UK's radioactive waste with key elements including geological disposal and robust interim storage, in recognition of the fact that the process leading to the creation of suitable facilities for disposal may take several decades.
The independent committee has produced a set of 15 recommendations following more than two years of exhaustive enquiry and debate, and has called for immediate action to begin their implementation.
The Committee agreed that deep disposal in an underground repository is the best available approach for long-term management of the waste in terms of safety and security. However, it believes that a robust programme of interim storage is needed to safeguard the waste for 100 years or more, in case of delay or failure in a repository programme. Furthermore, while the Committee’s remit does not include recommending specific sites it has set out a process to determine where any facilities should be located.
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