LONDON, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- Plans to privatize the cleanup of Britain's nuclear waste face possibly insurmountable opposition, the Financial Times reported Wednesday.
British Nuclear Fuels last month announced plans to sell its decommissioning and cleanup arm, British Nuclear Group. The government wants to limit exposure from an estimated $98 billion in existing nuclear waste to pave the way to build new nuclear power plants.
British Nuclear Fuels Wednesday met with unions, whose backing is seen as essential for the sale to go forward.
However, regulatory and industry insiders said opposition may scuttle the sale to raise an estimated $264 million.
Brussels is to rule by next June whether the restructuring is legal.
The European Commission is investigating whether British Nuclear Fuels' transfer of liability to the new Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, or NDA, broke European Union rules.
NDA and safety regulators have warned Britain the sale should not be finalized until a leak at a Sellafield, England, reprocessing plant is resolved. That could take up to a year, the newspaper reported.
