In February 2007, the Royal Society wrote to Professor Sir Howard Dalton FRS (Chief Scientific Adviser for Defra), to express concern about the current developments. The letter was sent to the Lords inquiry along with a cover letter and a copy of the Society's January 2006 report the long term management of radioactive waste: the work of CoRWM'.
Our submission highlights our concern that a reconstituted CoRWM should maintain its independence and capacity to conduct stakeholder engagement and the need for clarification of its role in the policy development and implementation process. In addition, we are concerned about the haste with which the site selection process is moving forward, ahead of the establishment of the reconstituted CoRWM. It seems premature to start the more sensitive site selection phase before the new Committee has been set up.