Withdraw GDF's Heroes Propaganda Aimed at Children

Dear MidCopeland Partnership,

Removal of GDF Heroes children's publications from Partnership promotional material.

In 2003 The Advertising Standards Authority ruled that BNFL - now the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority could not "make an absolute claim" about the future of nuclear waste at Sellafield and the advert showing a butterfly flying away from a hand, with the headline "The future of the environment is in safe hands" was ordered to be removed. All advertising literature published under the tagline "Working in Partnership" states : "Doing the right thing for future generations. Geological disposal is one of the UK’s largest ever environmental protection projects, which will provide a safe and secure long-term solution for the disposal of higher activity radioactive waste. This programme will create investment and jobs over many generations." This flies in the face of the 2003 ASA ruling that no absolute claims can be made for the future safety of nuclear wastes. While all the GDF Partnership advertising aimed at adults makes absolute claims which as the ASA previously ruled cannot be backed up (unless the GDF Partnership have a fail safe crystal ball), our primary complaint is the literature aimed at children. In particular a promotional colouring book aimed at children called "GDF's Heroes". Colourful Nuclear Dump “feel good” books are targeted at children to advertise Geological Disposal. 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. The children's advertorial books promote the embedding of heat generating nuclear waste deep underground as "safe" which is a clear breach of the ASA 2003 ruling. 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!” This is very wrong on many levels and we ask that the promotional material "GDF's Heroes" is withdrawn from any future Partnership events including the ones coming up from the 25th January to 1st February. We have written a complaint to the Advertising Standards Agency and carried out our own poll (attached). Almost 1000 people responded to the poll with 99% saying that the GDF's Heroes books should be withdrawn. We urge you to withdraw GDF's Heroes.

Yours sincerely

Lakes Against Nuclear Dump