Nuclear waste build-up

Thursday 9th March 2006, 12:00AM GMT.

MORE than 1,000 cubic metres of uranium and plutonium nuclear waste are stockpiled at the La Hague reprocessing centre on the Normandy coast, a French inventory has revealed.

The controversial La Hague waste, which is unusable residue remaining after the reprocessing of fuel rods burnt at French power stations, is due to be transferred to an underground dump in the Meuse region of eastern France.

Due to technical problems and public opposition, the giant dump described by the French nuclear industry as an ‘experimental laboratory’ has yet to open.

In the meantime, long-life type C waste from French power stations is continuing to pile up at La Hague.

The waste is sealed in glass and stored in stainless steel containers.

It has a radioactive life of anything up to two million years.

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