5-Apr-2006 - The Environment
Agency wants to hear the public’s views on the
review of authorisations for British Energy Generation
Limited’s nuclear power site at Heysham, Lancashire.
The Environment Agency regulates
the disposal of radioactive waste from the two
power stations at the site, known as Heysham 1
and Heysham 2, through permits known as authorisations.
The authorisations limit the amount of waste that
the site can produce and the ways that British
Energy can dispose of it, to make sure that the
environment and human health are protected.
The Environment Agency reviews
nuclear authorisations regularly and take into
account developments in technology and environmental
policy. It has prepared new proposals for the
authorisations for Heysham 1 and 2 and is consulting
interested parties, including relevant organisations
and the general public, as part of the comprehensive
three-month review process.
The proposed new authorisations
aim to reduce the amount of radioactive waste
that British Energy produces at Heysham – already
well within safe legal limits – even further.
Anyone wishing to comment on the proposals must
do so by 7 July 2006. Once the Environment Agency
has fully considered all the responses, it will
publish its final decision on the future authorisation
of the Heysham sites during the winter of 2006/2007.
The Environment Agency will
also be holding three public drop-in sessions
at which local people can look at the proposals,
ask questions and give their views. These will
take place from 3-8pm at Lancaster Town Hall on
8 May, Morecambe Town Hall on 9 May and Heysham
Youth and Community Centre on 10 May.
A summary of the Environment
Agency's proposals is available at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/benar
or by calling 08708 506 506.
Notes
As well as Heysham 1 and 2,
the Environment Agency is also reviewing permits
for several other British Energy sites. They are:
Hinkley Point B, Somerset
Sizewell B, Suffolk
Dungeness B, Kent
Hartlepool, Teesside
Heysham 1 and 2 produce liquid, solid and gaseous
low-level radioactive wastes. The Environment
Agency stringently monitors the emission and disposal
of these wastes, which must not exceed the limits
imposed in the sites' authorisations.
In developing its proposals for the future regulation
of the Heysham power stations, the Environment
Agency has worked closely with the Nuclear Installations
Inspectorate and the Food Standards Agency.
