A GDF has to be built deep underground, in solid rock. The rock along with several other engineered barriers plays an important part in keeping people and the environment safe while the waste naturally becomes less radioactive. The Working Group is looking to identify areas in Allerdale that Radioactive Waste Management (RWM) could investigate as part of the Community Partnership.
RWM will study any proposed areas to see if a GDF could safely be built there.
No areas which fall within the Lake District National Park will be considered.
The Working Group has yet to announce the Search Area. This page will be updated when that has taken place.
As part of the process to identify a suitable site for a GDF within a willing community, RWM has undertaken initial discussions with an interested party which proposed an area of interest in Allerdale. RWM carried out an initial evaluation for this proposed area to determine if it has any potential to host a GDF.
RWM has concluded there may be potential to host a GDF in the proposed area of interest. Therefore, both RWM and the interested party have agreed to open discussion more widely in the community and formed the Allerdale GDF Working Group.
The Allerdale GDF Working Group will initially consider the whole of the Borough of Allerdale and adjacent inshore area up to 22km from the coastline, with the exclusion of the area within the boundary of the Lake District National Park. In time, the Working Group will propose an area for further investigation.
Allerdale is covered by Northern England subregions 3 and 5 in the National Geological Screening for a GDF study.
