Highland Council Decides on Response To Exotic Fuels Consultation

18th March 2012

At a meeting on Wednesday 14 March 2012 of the Planning, Environment and Development Committee, members agreed that if the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency decides to transport fuel material from Dounreay to Sellafield , this should be transported by rail rather than road.

The NDA has recently published a paper on the management options for unirridiated plutonium and high enriched uranium bearing fuels which are currently stored at Dounreay. Two options are considered. The first is to build new facilities at the Caithness site. The other is to utilise existing and planned facilities at Sellafield.

Chairman of the PED Committee, Councillor Ian Ross said: "As a stakeholder the council is being consulted and what members agreed today is that if the NDA take the decision to remove the material from Dounreay then this should be done by rail rather than road. We also want to see any financial savings the NDA make by transferring this material rather than building new storage facilities be translated into investment.

"We strongly believe that Caithness and North Sutherland should benefit from a credible legacy that will support social and economic development."

In its response the Council will also state that as a stakeholder it should be included in any future decision making relating to this proposal and that effective consultation with any affected local communities is taken forward.