for Sunday Herald, 29 May 2005
Publication of a highly-sensitive and long-secret list of potential nuclear waste dumps, many of which are suspected of being in Scotland, has been delayed by the government in defiance of a plea from its own advisers.
The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM), which is drawing up a nuclear disposal strategy for ministers, had demanded that the list be released before the beginning of June. But it will not now be published before the middle of the month, after it has been checked by defence and environment officials in Whitehall.
CoRWM fears that the publicity generated by the release of the list could damage its attempts to win public confidence in its programme. It is considering whether radioactive waste should be stored above the ground, or buried in a deep underground repository, and is due to make recommendations to ministers next year.