Nuclear Power Stations

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:36 pm on 12 July 2022.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mabon ap Gwynfor Mabon ap Gwynfor Plaid Cymru 1:36, 12 July 2022

(Translated)

Thank you for that response, First Minister. Now, if the first people to leave the African continent 80,000 years ago had mined for uranium and developed nuclear energy, then we would be continuing to deal with the waste today, because thorium-230, which is found in the tailings of uranium works, has a half life of 80,000 years. Plutonium-239, possibly the most dangerous element to humanity, has a half life of 24,000 years. Mankind will have developed into a new species and we will be continuing to pay for the maintenance work in making nuclear waste produced today safe. If we're producing this waste, isn't it our responsibility to deal with it, rather than leaving 140 tonnes of radioactive waste, the largest store in the world, to stand in Sellafield in Cumbria? And would you be happy to have a nuclear power station and waste centre here in Cardiff?