Nuclear site (From Penarth Times)

Nuclear site

REGARDING the article on Flatholm as a proposed nuclear dump (Penarth Times, June 23).

Nuclear waste is lethal and there is no way to get rid of it.

The wastes they planned to dump at Flatholm or St Athan was not "medium grade danger" as reported, but so called "Intermediate Level", which means only that it doesn"t require special cooling measures to remove internal heat.

Flatholm was among several offshore islands in Nirex"s list (http://www.nirex.co.uk/477002/index7.html) and might be the most suitable (compared with Fuday and Sandray) because it"s accessible to ports, the sea is less stormy than off Scottish islands and the local council is not anti-nuclear.

Flatholm and St Athan were dropped from the 1989 shortlist on geological grounds, but now deeper rocks strata are to be considered and Nirex say "sites where the geology was viewed as less favourable previously could be included in the new site selection process... no sites can be ruled in or out at this point".

Those who are persuaded that Britain needs a further generation of nuclear power stations, also would logically accept that the nuclear waste dump could be in the Vale of Glamorgan.

The silence of our MP, AM and County Council on this prospect should be a warning to people in the Vale.

Max Wallis

Barry and Vale Friends of the Earth

Westbourne Road

Penarth