A complaint against the Deputy Mayor of Copeland and Borough Councillor David Moore will be heard by the Standards and Ethics Committee of Copeland Borough Council on 25th October 2022.
The complaint is being brought by nuclear safety group Radiation Free Lakeland who campaigned vigorously against the seismic testing (often called “blasting”) carried out in August to test the geology deep under the Irish Sea bed for a high level nuclear waste facility known as a Geological Disposal Facility.
Founder of Radiation Free Lakeland Marianne Birkby said “Immediately following the seismic survey there have been visible damaging impacts including dead and displaced harbour porpoises (reported to Cetacean Strandings UK) and hundreds of dead jellyfish washed up on West Cumbrian beaches. The long term impacts will be felt by marine life for years to come and that was just the start of the nuclear dump developments. Councillor David Moore will, despite his financial and personal nuclear interests, be aiming to rubber stamp further GDF developments without a by-your-leave from the full council or from the public. It is a nuclear fiefdom in Copeland and this is clearly becoming increasingly undemocratic and dangerous for Cumbria and Cumbria’s neighbours.”
TWO COMPLAINTS
- 50,000 signatures on the petition opposing seismic blasting are an “odd few” says Councillor Moore on the BBC News (2nd August).
- Cllr David Moore’s failure to declare interests at the Executive meeting of 12th July at which the Petition of then nearly 50,000 signatures was presented.
Context: In January 2013 the then Conservative leader of Cumbria County Council, Eddie Martin, led councillors in refusing to take the next steps (stage 4) towards the Delivery of a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF). The next steps would have included intrusive investigations of the geology of Copeland which is already very well studied and known to be complex and faulted. In November 2021 Copeland Borough Council joined the new GDF process of Partnership with Nuclear Waste Services. That Partnership has opened the flood gates on invasive investigations the first being, seismic blasting. There has been no public vote nor even a vote by the full Copeland Borough Council on whether investigations should take place. Decisions on GDF- which since Cumbria County Council’s NO vote has been designated a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project – are delegated to the Copeland Executive without reference to discussion or vote by the full council (or the public).