Dave Ferguson - 31-Jan-2007 - New conditions regulating the amount of radioactive waste disposal from the two Atomic Weapons Establishments run by AWE plc will come into force from 1 March 2007.

The new conditions, which have been laid down by the Environment Agency, include several significant reductions in the discharge limits of gaseous and liquid discharges and follow an extensive six-month consultation.

Several minor increases in the company’s discharge consents have also been granted, relating to work taking place at the sites to decommission redundant facilities.

The Environment Agency has consulted with Government departments and agencies including the Department of Health and the Health Protection Agency, AWE, people living near the sites at Aldermaston and Burghfield, and people living locally to sites receiving waste from the AWE sites.

The Environment Agency, which regulates the disposal of radioactive waste from the two sites, carried out the consultation in relation to the limits and conditions under which the company can dispose of gaseous, liquid and solid radioactive waste from the sites at AWE Aldermaston and AWE Burghfield. It also worked closely with the Food Standards Agency and the Health and Safety Executive’s Nuclear Installations Inspectorate in arriving at the decisions.

The new conditions include the reduction of gaseous and liquid discharges at Aldermaston and Burghfield and the use of an additional incinerator site at Colnbrook, Berkshire, for the disposal of tritium and carbon-14 contaminated waste.

AWE was also seeking a disposal route for tritium contaminated building waste left after decommissioning work at Aldermaston and had requested disposal to licensed landfill. However, in the summer of 2006 the Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) consulted on the plans for future disposals of low level waste. As the results of this consultation have not yet been published we have not granted permission for AWE to dispose of very low level waste to landfill.

David Griffiths, a nuclear regulator for the Environment Agency, said: “We have reviewed these authorisations to make sure that the limits for discharging radioactive waste are appropriate and that the conditions we have set continue to protect the public and the environment.

“We had a great response from the public and thank them for all their comments and suggestions during the consultation, which have been carefully considered as part of our decision.

“The several minor increases for disposal will allow work to continue at the sites on the decommissioning of redundant facilities. We hope that by increasing these limits in the short term, the amount of radioactive waste on the site will be significantly reduced in the longer term.

“But generally our new authorisations will see a significant reduction in gaseous and liquid discharges.

“Reductions in the previous conditions have been made because, as part of our role to protect and improve the environment, we are committed to progressive reductions in radioactive discharges and discharge limits from sites such as Aldermaston and Burghfield wherever possible.

“We have not authorised disposals of radioactively contaminated building wastes to landfill sites, and we will ensure that AWE continues to safely manage its radioactive waste disposals from these sites.”

The new permits for Aldermaston and Burghfield take account of operational and decommissioning work at both sites and, although not time limited, have been prepared to cover work up to 2014.

The Environment Agency will periodically determine their fitness for purpose by undertaking an annual review with the site operator. Details of our decisions can be seen in our decision document, which is available on our website, www.environment-agency.gov.uk and this can also be viewed at local libraries around the sites or at the Environment Agency’s offices at Wallingford and Reading.

Libraries which will hold a copy of the decision document are: Burghfield; Caversham; Hungerford; Reading Central; Lambourn; Palmer Park, Reading; Mortimer; Southcote; Newbury; Tilehurst; Pangbourne; Whitley; Thatcham; Marlborough; Theale; Basingstoke; Battle, Reading; Tadley.

Notes

Under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 authorisation is required by any business that wants to dispose of or store radioactive waste.

At nuclear sites, Nuclear Site Licences deal with the storage of radioactive waste and authorisations cover disposals. This review looks at the management arrangements, operation and maintenance of the plants to ensure that any radioactive risk is kept to a minimum.
Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, and can be formed naturally by the action of the sun’s rays on water vapour in the upper atmosphere. It has a wide range of applications in medicine and the defence, manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries.

Carbon-14 is a radioactive element that emits low energy beta radiation, and presents a very low radiation hazard. AWE does not routinely generate radioactive waste that includes carbon-14 but this type of waste is most effectively disposed of by incineration.