Barcelona (Platts)--18Jan2010/720 am EST/1220 GMT

A group of eight experts in nuclear waste, including four former members of the government's Committee on Radioactive Waste Management, said Monday they had challenged government claims that it will be able to dispose of radioactive waste from any new nuclear reactors in the country.

The group, calling themselves Nuclear Waste Advisory Associates, said they had filed written testimony to the House of Common Select Committee on Energy and Climate Change, which is holding hearings on the government's National Policy Statements, including one on new nuclear.

In the nuclear NPS, published November 9, the government said that "effective arrangements will exist" to manage and dispose of the waste that will be produced from new nuclear power stations.

A new fast-track planning regime, adopted in late 2008, would see new nuclear power plants, and other "strategic infrastructure" reviewed by a new Infrastructure Planning Commission.

But the government's claim in the nuclear NPS that nuclear waste issues can be resolved means the IPC would be prohibited from revisiting the issue. Nuclear Waste Advisory Associates said in their 34-page written testimony that the government's claim is not supported by the evidence.

"Technical problems associated with a disposal facility are legion and most are recognized by the Environment Agency, thereby making any assertion of confidence in the disposability of radioactive waste premature," the group wrote.

Hearings by the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee on the policy statements are continuing, but the deadline for written testimony was January 15.

--David Stellfox, david_stellfox@platts.com