Information about the regulation of radioactive waste going to landfill.
Changes to Government policy
Government announced its new policy on low level radioactive waste (LLW) management in March 2007. The policy includes revised regulation around the disposal of LLW to landfill. This means the nuclear industry can now dispose of the following LLW to landfill:
- high volume very low level waste (a new sub-category of LLW)
- controlled burials of LLW.
It is expected that the majority of waste that could go to landfill would to consist of rubble and soil from decommissioning activities. This would contain only small amounts of radioactivity and we will limit the quantities authorised for disposal.
Authorisations
Landfill companies and nuclear operators have to apply to us for authorisations to dispose of low level radioactive waste.
You should contact your local Nuclear Regulatory Group to discuss any proposed application.
How we will assess authorisations
- We will not authorise a site for landfill disposal of LLW unless we are satisfied that the wastes proposed for disposal are safe. Any application will need to be accompanied by a full assessment of options and a satisfactory safety case.
- We will consult local authorities and the Health and Safety Executive on any applications received. In addition we will require applicants to engage with potential local communities and other interested parties.
- We will not authorise any disposals unless are satisfied that public radiation exposures are below a ‘dose constraint’ of 0.3 millisieverts (mSv2) per year. In most cases we would expect them to be no greater than 0.02 mSv per year (average UK doses from all sources, including natural background and medical exposures are about 2.6 mSv per year).
Current applications
See the current applications we are dealing with below.
Augean South Ltd.
Augean South Ltd applied for an authorisation to dispose of low level radioactive waste (LLW) in July 2009.
This authorisation is for the disposal of solid LLW, (with a specific activity of less than or equal to 200Bq/g) and High Volume Very Low Level Waste (HV-VLLW), at East Northants Resource Management Facility, Stamford Road, Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire, PE8 6XX.
Their application states that the waste will mainly be generated from the decommissioning and clean up of nuclear industry sites and will consist of items such as crushed concrete, soils, bricks. Consultation on the original application was completed and further information was requested and received in November 2009. The technical information and radiological assessments included in the application have been checked and we are now minded to grant the application and issue authorisation. Before a final decision is made an explanatory document which includes details of our considerations, initial consultation responses and draft certificate will be consulted on.
Public registers will contain details of the application, further information responses and a copy of the explanatory document. For more information you can contact us:
In addition further information can be obtained from Augean South Ltd.
Sita (Lancashire) Ltd
Sita (Lancashire) Ltd applied for an authorisation to dispose of low level radioactive waste (LLW) in November 2009.
The application relates to their existing landfill site at Clifton Marsh near Preston in Lancashire, PR4 0XE. The site already holds a permit, under the Environmental Permitting Regulations, to dispose of controlled waste. Separate authorisations under the Radioactive Substances Act have allowed disposal of low level radioactive waste at the site for over twenty years. Those authorisations are held by sites who consign waste to Clifton Marsh, but our regulatory policy is now that Sita should be authorised in their own right, hence the current application.
The application describes a range of waste material types, including decommissioning and demolition rubble, redundant plant and equipment, contaminated protective clothing and naturally-occurring radioactive material. Its activity would be below 200 Becquerels per gramme, unless explicitly agreed by prior arrangements.
The application is on public registers, including our own public register at our Birchwood office. Once we have determined what, if any, further information we require from the applicant, and have received that information, we will carry out public consultation as required by the Act.
For more information you can contact us:
In addition further information can be obtained from cliftonmarsh or sita
Waste Recycling Ltd.
During May 2009 we received an application to dispose of High Volume Very Low Level Waste (HV-VLLW) to the Lillyhall Landfill Site at Joseph Noble Road, Cumbria from Waste Recycling Limited.
The application is to dispose of no more than 26,000 meters cubed of HV-VLLW per year and if the landfill remains operational until 2031, no more that 582,000 meters cubed of HV-VLLW in total. This waste will be disposed of alongside non-radioactive waste, which is already being taken to the site. Waste Recycling Limited anticipate that the majority of waste will arise from decommissioning activities at nuclear sites.
For further information or copies of the application please contact Waste Recycling Limited.
Further information
We’ve published guidance on how we will regulate the disposal of low level radioactive waste to landfill sites.
Related links
