Public opposition to the disposal of radioactive waste in the UK has often been characterised as being largely of the "not in my backyard' (NIMBY) variety. In this paper, the history of policy for the management of radioactive waste in the UK is reviewed, highlighting the numerous shifts in policy and the combination of political and technical factors at work. It is argued that much of the public distrust of plans for radioactive waste and the public perception of the risks of the disposal of radioactive waste is heavily influenced by that history. Reviewed in particular in this paper is the recent public discussion programme on the deep disposal of radioactive wastes. Rather than being simply NIMBY responses, many of the public views expressed reflect a hierarchy of concerns about environmental risks: local economic impact, health and the environment, and distrust of the nuclear industry. -from Author
