Geological Disposal Facility

An interactive virtual exhibition has been launched - including videos, graphics and information - for people living in Copeland to show how a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) works.
The virtual experience has been set up by the Copeland GDF Working Group which was established to help people get involved in local discussions about the potential for building a GDF somewhere in the area of Copeland for the UK’s higher activity radioactive waste. Working Group Chair, Mark Cullinan, said: “During these current uncertain times it’s more important than ever to offer alternative ways for people to access factual information about what a GDF is, in an easy to understand way.
“Under normal circumstances, we’d be going out to speak to people face to face and offering them the opportunity to see an exhibition. We can’t do that right now because of Covid, so we want to provide an experience that’s as near to that as possible.”
The virtual exhibition looks at what a GDF is, brings to life what a facility could look like, what it could mean for Copeland and the benefits it could bring as it takes the viewer around a display of interactive information boards.
Community Engagement Manager, Gillian Johnston, said: “We want as many people as possible to visit our virtual exhibition, where they’ll find videos and lots of other interactive content which brings the project to life and will help spark discussions.
“It’s easy to access and we hope it will really help people’s understanding of what geological disposal could mean for Copeland. Let us know what you think and come back to us with any questions, we’re here to listen and help.”
The Working Group, which was launched in November, has three main tasks – begin to gather and understand community issues, opportunities and questions about the GDF programme; identify a search area or areas within Copeland which could be further investigated for potential locations for a GDF, and identify initial members for a Community Partnership which could take that work forward.
This is a consent-based partnership approach and there must be both a suitable site and a willing community in order to proceed.

Radioactive Waste Management (RWM) is a member of the Copeland Working Group and provides factual information about geological disposal and the consent-based process.

For those without access to digital channels, a dedicated phone line has been set up to answer queries or discuss areas of interest: telephone 0300 0660 100. Alternatively, email: gdfmedia-copeland@nda.gov.uk