The Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee's initial recommendations on the long term management of intermediate level radioactive waste. Following rejection of the UK Nirex Rock Characterisation Facility planning application: 'Rethinking disposal'

The Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee (RWMAC) is the independent body that advises the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, and the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales, on issues relating to civil radioactive waste management. On 17 March 1997, the then Secretary of State for the Environment announced that he had decided to dismiss an appeal by UK Nirex Ltd against refusal by Cumbria County Council of planning permission for the construction of a Rock Characterisation Facility at a site near Gosforth. In the RWMAC's view, this decision has significant implications for the long term management of intermediate level radioactive waste in the UK. On 13 June, the RWMAC held a study day in London at which Members of the Committee discussed the possible options available to Government in the light of the dismissal of Nirex's appeal. The Committee submitted advice to Ministers on 24 July. This report, with some minor revisions, notably to take account of the availability of more up to date information on the volume of intermediate level waste, incorporates the advice given to Ministers and is published with their agreement. It needs to be emphasised that the advice is the outcome of initial thinking by the Committee. A number of the proposals made are outline in nature and will need to be refined as part of the wide ranging policy review of radioactive waste disposal which is recommended in the Report