South Down MP Margaret Ritchie has expressed her concern over moves to dump nuclear waste underground. Ms Ritchie has said that such a decision would have serious environmental and health implications and called on the British Government to distance itself from such a strategy.
She said: “This is a precedent that must be resisted by all the people of Britain and Ireland. With sites already earmarked in Cumbria it is particularly important that those living in the area make their voices heard.
“Nuclear waste is a notorious consequence of a misguided energy strategy. If the decision is made to bury this problem we may find ourselves on the brink of an environmental and health catastrophe in the future with no way to access the source of the problem one kilometre underground.
“This decision could cause far reaching damage and should cause particular concern to those living close to the coast. My own constituency of South Down has already had problems with the indiscriminate dumping or radioactive waste into the Irish Sea. Any burial of nuclear waste near Sellafield which is built on a geological fault line is short-sighted and reckless.
“I will be making representations to the Energy Secretary, Amber Rudd and urge that the British Government abandons such proposals. I will also be advising the Irish Government and the NI Executive to put pressure on the British Government to step back from such an irresponsible policy.”
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