The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CORWM) has been charged to provide independent scrutiny and advice to UK Government and devolved administration Ministers on the long-term management, storage and disposal of radioactive waste. A White Paper, Managing Radioactive Waste Safely (MRWS) was published in June 2008.

The Committee’s Working Group on R&D scrutinises plans for, and performance of, UK R&D related to geological disposal and robust interim storage, including the availability of the necessary skills and infrastructure.

The Committee has invited the Institute to respond to the following questions:
1. What does IOM3 see as its role in the MRWS process?
2. How should IOM3 go about fulfilling this role?
3. How much attention does IOM3 pay to geological disposal and storage, especially packaging materials?
4. Do members feel that there should be a focus on this issue?
5. Should IOM3 establish closer links with other professional bodies (eg. the British Geological Society) to ensure that a systems approach is taken by professional societies and institutions?

The Institute is uniquely qualified, through the expertise of its membership, to answer the questions posed above and thereby provide the input which CORWM seeks to ensure the safe management of geological storage and robust interim storage of radioactive waste. Please submit your response by 31 October to Zoe Chiverton, via the online contact form. This will enable us to collate an IOM3 response.

Further information

Committee on Radioactive Waste Management
Defra - Managing Radioactive Waste Safely