Greenpeace comment on nuclear decommissioning authority's strategy

Responding to the release of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority strategy for cleaning up Britain's nuclear sites and news that the cost of dealing with waste is set to rise substantially - Jean McSorley, Greenpeace Nuclear campaigner, said:

"Every time the costs of cleaning up nuclear sites are looked at the cost for the taxpayer spirals. This time it looks like there's another £9 billion for taxpayers to swallow.

"It's not going to end there - the authorities haven't even started factoring in the additional billions needed to deal with the UK's plutonium and uranium stockpiles if they have to be dealt with as wastes, or for dealing with highly radioactive wastes generated by extending the life of British Energy's reactors. It's just one more reason why it would be insane to countenance building more nuclear power plants across Britain."

NOTES:

For more information contact Jean McSorley on 07801 212959 or Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.

Last year the chair of the NDA, Sir Antony Cleaver, indicated that dealing with plutonium alone could add a further £0bn to nuclear clean up bills.

Jean McSorley represents Greenpeace on the NDA's Nuclear Materials Issues Group which is to start a review of spent fuel, plutonium and uranium management issues in April.