Alun Davies, Minister for Natural Resources and Food
This was published under the 2011 to 2016 administration of the Welsh Government
For over half a century, the United Kingdom has accumulated a substantial legacy of higher activity radioactive waste (HAW).
To date, the UK has not implemented a final disposal solution for HAW that would obviate the need for future intervention and ensure that no harmful amounts of radioactivity are released to the environment at any point in the future.
Current Welsh Government policy is neither to support nor to oppose the United Kingdom Government policy of geological disposal for HAW. Nor does the Welsh Government currently support any other disposal option for HAW.
I have today issued a call for evidence seeking responses about the current Welsh Government policy on HAW disposal and on any options that we may wish to consider. The background to the current Welsh Government policy and the reasons why a review may be appropriate are set down in the call for evidence, which is attached.
Depending on the responses to the call for evidence, I will consider the next steps. Any review of our current policy will be carried out in an open and transparent way and we will consult on any proposals for change.