Petition · past parliament
Require the government to address the issue of dealing with nuclear waste
Rejected
12 signatures
What the petition asks
To publish a full and honest report on how they intend to deal with existing nuclear waste and also with the predicted nuclear waste from planned, future, nuclear power stations
Nuclear waste has no respect for human time-spans. The currently considered way to neutralise its threat is bury it into a subterranean vault, of the kind the UK plans to build later this century.
Once interred, the waste has to be left for tens of thousands of years, while its radioactivity cools.
Dealing with any radioactive waste left on decommissioned sites will be a slow-motion race against time, which will last so long that even the grandchildren of those working on site will not see its end.
The process for what we currently have to deal with is estimated to cost at least £121bn.
Compared to the longevity of nuclear waste, Sellafield, for example, has only been around for roughly the span of a single lunch break within a human life.
Once interred, the waste has to be left for tens of thousands of years, while its radioactivity cools.
Dealing with any radioactive waste left on decommissioned sites will be a slow-motion race against time, which will last so long that even the grandchildren of those working on site will not see its end.
The process for what we currently have to deal with is estimated to cost at least £121bn.
Compared to the longevity of nuclear waste, Sellafield, for example, has only been around for roughly the span of a single lunch break within a human life.
Why it was rejected
The UK Government or Parliament was already taking the action it asked for.
In January 2022 the Government created Nuclear Waste Services to ensure that waste is managed in a way that protects people and the environment, now and in the future.
You can find out more about Nuclear Waste Services here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/nuclear-waste-services/about
Nuclear Waste Services recently published a new Corporate Strategy which is focused on key strategic objectives to ensure that the right waste form, in the right package, is managed or disposed of at the right facility. NWS has said it will support accelerated decommissioning through innovation, with legacy and future waste streams managed in the most sustainable and efficient way through technology development, expertise and setting worldwide standards to provide value for the UK.
You can read this strategy here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nuclear-waste-services-corporate-strategy-2023
If there is a specific action you would like the Government to take in respect of nuclear waste management, you could start a new petition requesting this.
You can find out more about Nuclear Waste Services here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/nuclear-waste-services/about
Nuclear Waste Services recently published a new Corporate Strategy which is focused on key strategic objectives to ensure that the right waste form, in the right package, is managed or disposed of at the right facility. NWS has said it will support accelerated decommissioning through innovation, with legacy and future waste streams managed in the most sustainable and efficient way through technology development, expertise and setting worldwide standards to provide value for the UK.
You can read this strategy here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nuclear-waste-services-corporate-strategy-2023
If there is a specific action you would like the Government to take in respect of nuclear waste management, you could start a new petition requesting this.
Timeline
| 3 May 2023 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 5 May 2023 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
12
Status
Rejected
Rejected
5 May 2023
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.