Plans published on returning foreign nuclear waste

Proposals have been published on how to handle nuclear waste from abroad, which is held at Dounreay.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) signed contracts to recycle fuel from Australia, Belgium, Germany and Italy.

The countries were to take back the waste generated but some are not geared up to do so.

It has been proposed returning an equivalent amount of material held at the Caithness site and at Sellafield.

This waste would be in a form Dounreay and the countries involved could handle, according to government.

The Scottish and UK governments have sought public views on the newly-published plans.