Chapelcross ruled out as site for nuclear waste

Four cooling towers were demolished at Chapelcross nuclear power station in 2007. Credit: PA

Chapelcross, near Annan, has been ruled out as a possible site to store radioactive waste from decommissioned nuclear submarines.

It was one of five shortlisted locations to dump the Reactor Pressure Vessels from the submarines, which are classed as Intermediate level radioactive waste.

The vessels are thick steel containers that held nuclear fuel when the reactors operated.

However, the Ministry of Defence has chosen to store the nuclear waste at Capenhurst Nuclear Services in Cheshire, following a public consultation.

AWE Aldermaston in Berkshire has been chosen as a fall back option.

Capenhurst will store the waste on an interim basis until permanent disposal in a UK Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) some time after 2040.