TWO massive holes are being dug for a £100 million plan to store radioactive waste from Dounreay.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) yesterday published a draft authorisation to govern the disposal of low-level radioactive waste in vaults beside the redundant nuclear plant in Caithness.
Around 140,000 metres of rock is being removed to make way for up to six vaults, each covering an area the size of a football pitch and 20 metres deep.
Barns will be built over each vault to provide cover during its operation, before each is finally backfilled with grout and capped.
They will be buried and landscaped before being fenced off and left for 300 years to allow the radioactivity to reduce, but they will always be monitored.
Although it is not required to do so, Sepa will consult the public over the plan, which has been criticised by some nearby residents. A spokesman said: "We recognise the importance of this issue to the local community and, therefore, have published a consultation seeking information relevant to the draft authorisation."
The waste largely consists of paper, rags, tools, glass, concrete and metal which contain small amounts of mostly short-lived radioactivity. It is not dangerous to handle but must be disposed of more carefully than normal industrial waste.
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