Radiation Free Lakeland Press Release, 25th August 2022:
Colourful Nuclear Dump “feel good” books are being aimed at children by the Copeland Community Partnerships.
The Community Partnerships of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s subsidiary Nuclear Waste Services and Copeland Borough Council have teamed up to produce literature for adults and children to help form the “express consent of the people who would be living alongside a Geological Disposal Facility” Simon Hughes Community Engagement and Siting Director, Nuclear Waste Services.
This literature includes children’s books promoting the controversial Government policy to embed heat generating nuclear waste deep underground or deep under the seabed.
The children’s books and stickers are called “GDF’s HEROES.” The books include colourful characters such as “Radioactive Ray” who says “ Hi, I’m radioactive Ray, and I’m a nice kid. really. I just need a long time to cool off underground!”
Radiation Free Lakeland a volunteer nuclear safety group based in Cumbria have been running an online poll open to everyone and 949 people have responded.
There are two questions, the first: Should the Geological Disposal Facility Partnerships of Copeland Borough Council and Nuclear Waste Services be targetting children with “GDF’s Heroes” colouring books? 99% of people replied that “No, children should not be targeted with “GDF’s Heroes” colouring books.”
The second question: Should the “GDF’s Heroes” booklets, colouring book and stickers be removed from the literature used by the GDF Partnerships (Mid and South Copeland)?” 98% of people said yes.
The campaign group say that “the poll is an overwhelming rejection of the GDF feel good propaganda which is bad enough when it is aimed at adults but to propagandise children in this way with the notion that hot radioactive waste is a “nice kid” is very nasty indeed. We also wonder at the perverted message to children to be told that even though they are nice , like “Radioactive Ray” they will be buried underground for a long time to “cool off?”
Radiation Free Lakeland are aware that Copeland Borough Councillors apart from the four people on the executive have had no input into either joining the “Community Partnership” or the resulting literature aimed at children. The GDF’s HEROES, however are produced in Copeland Borough Council’s name as part of the “Partnership.” We hope that ordinary councillors will be as concerned as we are about the literature and like us will urge the removal of the GDF’s HEROES literature from the Community Partnership’s propaganda tool kit.
Click for Survey
Colour with GDF’s HEROES – at the Haverigg Community Partnership ‘drop in.’
Footnote:
When the colouring booklet was shown to councillors at Millom Town Council, councillors were shocked. The chair of the South Copeland GDF Community Partnership, Councillor Ged McGrath, said the colouring books were there in case children were bored and wanted something to do whilst their parents looked at the information. He also said the booklets were prepared before the South Copeland GDF Partnership was formed. Nevetheless, the four information events (two in Millom, two in Haverigg) made the colouring books available along with colouring pencils and other ‘freebies.’ Unbeknown to Millom councillors (and no doubt Whicham and Millom Without councillors) these events were promoted by the South Copeland GDF Partnership, of which Millom, Millom Without and Whicham councils are members – in other words, the events are being promoted on behalf of the councils! One Millom councillor was shocked to learn this – clearly Millom councillors, and perhaps councillors from Whicham and Millom Without parish councils, are unaware of exactly what the South Copeland GDF Partnership are doing IN THEIR NAME. To put this bluntly: Millom Town Council, Millom Without Parish Council and Whicham Parish Council are promoting use of the colouring booklet.