A ROW has erupted over possible plans by the nuclear power giant British Nuclear Fuels Limited to send its dirty and radioactive rags and solvents to the edge of the New Forest.

Preliminary talks have taken place between BNFL and the environment Agency over the possibility of low level radioactive waste being sent to the Shanks - formerly ReChem - hazardous waste incinerator at Fawley from Sellafield.

But although an Agency spokesman stressed that nothing has been decided yet, the idea has been condemned by the action group CORE (Cumbrians Opposed to Radioactive Environment).

Its spokesman Martin Forwood said: "This 'not in my back yard' plan has to be nipped in the bud immediately. We are astounded that BNFL should think of offloading their radioactive waste problems to Fawley.

"They are constantly making claims about their technical ability in waste management, yet are apparently not competent to deal with these wastes at Sellafield."

The possibility has also received a cool and cautious reception in the Fawley area. Malcolm Wade, who chairs the New Forest Council backed environmental protection liaison committee, said: "I will be speaking to our environmental health officers to find out what the implications are. Frankly, I would rather it didn't come here."

Although Shanks is respected by many for the way it disposes of waste, there are concerns that radioactive equipment has to travel along the roads of Hampshire, and particularly the busy A326, which links the M27 with the Fawley petro-chemical complex where the incinerator is situated.

Fawley's Hampshire county councillor John Coles said: "That is the big issue that really worries me.

"I am very concerned about the transportation issue and if it does go ahead, I would be asking for every possible precaution to be taken."

But it has become clear that nothing has been decided yet. A spokesman for the Environment Agency in the north west said: "It would require inter-site waste transfer authorisation from the Environment Agency and no such authorisation has even been applied for at this stage.

"This report has come from a local liaison committee meeting in Cumbria and before anything was done, we would talk to people in the Cumbria and Southampton areas."

Shanks spokesman Cynon Edwards said his company had not even been made aware of any plans to send the waste to the Fawley incinerator.

He explained: "Any company looking to dispose of radioactive waste must look for a suitable site and we have a site with the capability, but that doesn't mean the waste will be coming here.

"The radioactive waste we dispose of comes mainly from hospitals, research establishments and colleges."

CORE's statement said the waste from Sellafield consisted of various materials including Butex solvent used in reprocessing operations at Sellafield and also zinc bromide. It would be contained in steel or polythene containers.