Prospect is calling on the three local authorities – Cumbria County Council, Allerdale Borough Council and Copeland Borough Council – to agree to proceed to the next stage of the feasibility investigations to allow for more detailed and balanced consideration of the scientific evidence.

The call comes after expert advice obtained by the union demonstrates that the arguments put so far – mainly based on the work of two academics – should not be taken at face value.

At the same time the union has found that other evidence has not been properly considered, and neither has the disadvantages of other options on which critics of a GDF would seek to rely.

Prospect is not seeking to pre-empt or stifle debate, but to ensure that this exercise can proceed to a stage of allowing more detailed and balanced consideration of the arguments and consequently to enable all the scientific evidence to be assessed on its merits.

Mike Graham, National Secretary for Prospect North, said: “The more comprehensive way to assess whether the geology of West Cumbria is suitable to host a geological disposal facility is to proceed to the next stage of the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely process. We will be calling on the councils, MPs and other stakeholders to chose that course of action.”

The union, working with the Sellafield Workers’ Campaign, has drawn up a briefing paper highlighting the areas of concern in the research along with other factors that need to be assessed as part of a comprehensive MRWS process.

Copies of the union’s briefing paper are available from http://library.prospect.org.uk/id/2012/01845.