Secret nuclear sites revealed (From Stroud News and Journal)

Secret nuclear sites revealed

ASTON DOWN, Hardwicke and Quedgeley have been identified as three of 537 potential UK sites for the disposal of the country's nuclear waste.

Radioactive disposal agency Nirex and the government have refused to reveal the contents of the list since it was drawn up in the 1980s but were forced to publish it on Friday, June 10 under the Freedom of Information Act.

It shows all 537 sites before they were narrowed down to 12, then to the location near Sellafield that was chosen but subsequently turned down by a public enquiry in 1997. The Planning Inspector favoured disclosure of the shortlisted sites at the time, but Nirex ignored its recommendations, as did the incoming Labour Government.

Green councillor John Marjoram said: "These are totally unacceptable sites and many consider that it is unlawful that these sites have been kept secret for over 15 years. Communities have the right to know if a nuclear dump is being considered for their doorstep.

"I am very concerned that these sites in Gloucestershire and elsewhere will be looked at again for nuclear waste."

Sally Morgan, chair of Aston Down Action Group, said residents were "astonished" that Aston Down was being considered as a site for waste disposal, adding: "It would be a totally inappropriate site. Any leakage would go down into our water and contaminate the whole supply for the area."

A spokesman for Nirex said: "At this stage I can't sit here and say yes or no to any individual sites because we don't know what management we are going to have and or what selection process will be used.

"What I can say is the shortlist is likely to look different in the future to this one that was produced in the 1980s because our understanding of geology has changed so much in 20 years.

"Any future process would have to be out in the open, unlike the previous list."