The British government has begun searching in earnest for a community willing to host a new underground nuclear waste burial site. The winning community would not only be, de facto, the hottest place in Britain, but it could also be the lucky recipient of … infrastructure funds! Britain’s environment secretary, Hilary Benn, launched into seduction mode the way only government officials can, saying, “Any community that hosts a site would provide essential services to the nation and would expect government to ensure that the project contributes to its wellbeing. To this end there may be other benefits identified and developed through discussions between the community and the government.” However, Greenpeace characterized it as “bribing a community with £1 billion of taxpayers’ money to bury waste in their back garden.” Other greens called the plan “shambolic.” The U.K. is looking to significantly ramp up its nuke-power industry in the next few decades, and finding a suitable nuke-waste site is a crucial step.
