Earthquake in Cumbria

Following last nights earthquake in Cumbria - just one of the increasingly frequent earthquakes to hit this area, our Cumbrian councillors should think again about their support for new nuclear build and the geological disposal of high level nuclear wastes. Earthquakes and nuclear power are not happy bedfellows with the need to retain radioactive releases compromised in unpredictable ways.

Even if this region had experienced no earthquakes at all, the Nirex inquiry of 1995 found the whole region to be too geologically unpredictable for the 'disposal' of high level nuclear wastes.

The following is an extract from an email sent by Professor David Smythe (employed by Nirex in 1995) to Allerdale and Copeland Borough Council which describes Nirex's remit- which was to explore the whole of West Cumbria.

"The REGION studied extends from north of Workington to south of Barrow, inland to Ulverston and halfway to Keswick, and offshore northwest and southwest for between 15 and 50 km. The DISTRICT is defined as Whitehaven down to Ravenglass, inland about 10 km, and offshore about the same distance".


Extract from recent email to Allerdale and Copeland Borough Council from Prof David Smythe

"Maps presented by Dr Robert Chaplow of Nirex to the Planning Inquiry in 1995, defining the scope of the £400M Nirex investigations. The site selection supposedly homed in, like opening up a set of
Russian matryochka dolls, as follows:

The REGION studied extends from north of Workington to south of Barrow, inland to Ulverston and halfway to Keswick, and offshore northwest and southwest for between 15 and 50 km.

The DISTRICT is defined as Whitehaven down to Ravenglass, inland about 10 km, and offshore about the same distance.

The SITE is a rectangle of about 55 sq km centred on Longlands Farm, including the Sellafield Works, Seascale and Gosforth. The POTENTIAL REPOSITORY ZONE comprises the 2 sq km or so of Longlands Farm.

So when the Planning Inspector deems the REGION to be unsuitable, he evidently means, using Nirex's own definition, the whole of West Cumbria, not just the PRZ. Since Longlands Farm was presented as the best site within the whole REGION, and £400M was spent in support, the bad science is in seeking to return to the REGION and waste yet more public money".

Professor David Smythe