North cannot be dumping ground for British nuclear waste says Hazzard.
Sinn Fein MP Chris Hazzard has said the British government cannot use the North as a dumping ground for nuclear and chemical waste.
The South Down MP said: “The latest proposal in a video from the British government’s Radioactive Waste Management group that parts of County Down and Armagh could be used as a site to dispose of nuclear and chemical waste is totally unacceptable.
“Britain cannot use the North as a dumping ground for this hazardous and toxic material.
“Not only would this have dire consequences for our environment but it would also pose a serious health risk to the population.
“This shows once again the complete and total disregard the British government has for the North of Ireland and its people.”
The radioactive waste authorities plan to offer financial incentives to local communities if they come aboard the programme.
It is understood that up to 2000 jobs could be created. However, it will be subject to planning approval from local authorities and currently in South Down, the main nationalist parties, Sinn Féin and the SDLP, are strongly opposed to the UK’s nuclear agenda of nuclear fuelled power stations and its disposal of nuclear waste and there is little chance of this finding approval in South Down.
But wherever the initial tests are carried out, there will no doubt be strong public protests from across the breadth of the community and this could be another dimension feeding into the growing demand for a border poll.
