Plans to reopen radioactive dump

AWE want to resume disposal of waste and warheads

Radioactive waste materials and warheads are set to be dumped once again on Foulness Island in Essex but at much lower levels than in the past.

The Environment Agency believes the government will soon give the go-ahead now a public consultation has ended.

The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) transported decommissioned nuclear warheads to Foulness Island until 2003 and now wants to resume the practice.

Consultation findings are due to be presented to Whitehall this month.

Radioactive wastes containing tritium, arising from the decommissioning and maintenance of nuclear warheads at AWE Aldermaston and AWE Burghfield, were disposed of at Foulness between 1998 and 2003.

Support for proposals

Although there have been no transfers of wastes since 2003, the Ministry of Defence has asked that the disposal route be available in the future for potential disposals.

The Environment Agency consultation document proposes to reduce the volume and amount of radioactivity in the wastes consigned to Foulness.

David Griffiths, of the Environment Agency, said local residents are generally in favour of the plans.

He said: "Once we told residents what was being proposed and why, most people were as happy as they were ever going to be.

"They were generally supportive of our proposals and we assured them that only what needed to go there would be stored.

"Some were worried that it would become some kind of radioactive dump but this was not true as it is waste that would be burned in incinerators on the island."

The results of the public consultation are expected to show broad support, as long as the amount of waste is cut by 90%.