Labour tries to foist nuclear waste on local councils (North Bedfordshire Liberal Democrats)

North Bedfordshire Liberal Democrats <bedford@bedfordlibdems.org>

Labour tries to foist nuclear waste on local councils

June 25, 2008 2:13 PM

More nuclear power plants mean more nuclear waste

Henry Vann has criticised the government proposals over procedures for selecting sites for the long term storage of nuclear waste.

The plans discuss "partnerships" and "community voluntarism" as ways councils could bid to store nuclear waste.

There is no doubt that the government will have to provide some kind of financial incentive for councils which agree to take on the burden.

These community bribes will result in more taxpayers' money being spent on storing waste as part of an already spiralling cost of the nuclear legacy.

Liberal Democrat parliamentary campaigner, Henry Vann, criticised the plans saying:

"This is a shameful display by New Labour - the government is effectively offering a short term bribe to local councils prepared to take on the long term burden of nuclear waste.

"On top of this, the government is paying for this subsidy. The cost of nuclear energy to the taxpayer simply gets added to, bit by bit.

"Bedford has a great history of opposing nuclear dumping and we should be wary of any government incentives to take on a burden which could last for tens of thousands of years.

"Only last year the Borough Council voted overwhelmingly against Bedford hosting nuclear waste in the future and also backed a Lib Dem motion against building new nuclear power plants."