Cllr Mark Fryer, Cumberland Council Leader, reacted to the news of government funding to develop specialised capabilities to enable the disposal of the UK’s civil plutonium inventory.
“We welcome this initial investment in additional research capability at Sellafield. We also recognise that there will need to be further investment in skills, education and training in Cumberland to ensure a suitably qualified workforce and supply chain is in place to support delivery of this major long term programme.
"Work to immobilise plutonium will, of course, need to be carried out alongside other existing high priority legacy waste retrieval and hazard reduction programmes at the Sellafield site. We intend to work collaboratively with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Sellafield Ltd on all these nationally significant programmes and will look to ensure our local economy, infrastructure and community receives maximum value and benefit from them.”
