Spain’s nuclear regulator CSN has blocked Berkeley Energia’s planned uranium mine in the province of Salamanca in the west of the country because of safety concerns, saying it took the decision due to a lack of reliability and a high level of uncertainty over how radioactive waste would be stored at the facility.

CSN said in a statement that technical deficiencies identified in a technical report relate mainly to the disposal of very low-level radioactive waste.

The regulator published the outcome of a board meeting considering Berkeley Energia’s application regarding a uranium concentrate manufacturing plant in Retortillo, Salamanca, advising it had issued an unfavourable report for the project amid safety concerns.