Regulation of Low Level Waste Management

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(No Transcript)
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Regulation of Low Level Waste Management
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This will cover.

• Environment Agency role in implementing
  Government policy
• Our approach to authorising more flexible routes
  introduced by the policy existing landfills and
  new facilities on or adjacent to nuclear sites
• Proposals to change authorisations to facilitate
  LLW transfers for treatment and disposal
• Regulatory oversight of LLWRs Environmental
  Safety Case

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Our role in implementing Govt. Policy on LLW

• Help ensure that it is properly implemented
• Ensure that plans are informed by assessment of
  potential radiation exposures and risks
• Upper limits to exposures and risks are the same
  for all types of radioactive waste disposal sites
• Lower levels of controls needed for less active
  wastes

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Guidance LLW disposal

• Revised guidance, published Feb 2009
• Applies to all near surface disposal
• Engineered facilities such as LLWR, near Drigg
• New facilities on or adjacent to nuclear sites
• Existing landfills

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LLW disposal to landfills, and new facilities on
or adjacent to nuclear sites
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Government policy

• 2007 LLW Policy recognised
• Disposals from to existing landfills
• High Volume - Very Low Level Waste (HV-VLLW)
• Low Volume - Very Low Level Waste (LV-VLLW)
• Controlled Burial of LLW
• Disposal to facilities on or adjacent to nuclear
  sites

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LLW disposal to landfill LV-VLLW

• LV-VLLW (dustbin disposals)
• Status quo well established
• Non-nuclear origin (hospitals, universities etc.)
• lt 50 m3/y
• No controls on radwaste aspects after leaving
  consigning site
• From research we are satisfied there is no risk
  to human health or the environment

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LLW disposal to landfill HV-VLLW

• Not totally new some small nuclear sites have
  had this type of disposal route for several years
• We will treat all nuclear site VLLW disposals as
  high volume
• Consignor and landfill operator must hold an
  RSA93 authorisation
• Radiological impact assessment required for any
  proposed landfill site
• A simple assessment, referring to published
  research, may well suffice
• If not we would expect proportionate application
  of our GRA guidance
• If authorised we would set an upper mass/volume
  limit, but generally would not include conditions
  on how the waste is managed on site. We will
  focus on
• Adequacy of management systems
• Records

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LLW disposal to landfill Controlled Burial

• As HV-VLLW except
• Activity of any given volume of waste will be
  higher
• A more detailed radiological assessment will be
  necessary, making proportionate use of specialist
  guidance (e.g. GRA)
• We may impose additional conditions to ensure
  impacts are controlled

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LLW disposal to sites on or adjacent to nuclear
sites

• Covers a wide range of possibilities
• dedicated facility for LLW or disposal with
  non-active decommissioning waste
• Above or below HV-VLLW limits
• Approach likely to be similar to that for
  controlled burial
• detailed radiological assessment may be necessary
• proportionate use of specialist guidance (e.g.
  GRA)
• we may impose additional conditions in the
  authorisation

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LLW disposal - consultation

• Landfill site application for disposal
• Local authority, HSE, FSA (if relevant)
• Landfill operator must lead on stakeholder
  liaison - we are happy to support, explaining our
  role
• Nuclear site applications for transfers to
  landfill or on-site disposals - as per our
  existing arrangements
• This will change when EPR introduced in 2010

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LLW disposals - expectations

• We want to see appropriate consideration of
  non-radioactive properties in disposal decisions
• For significant disposals, particularly from
  nuclear sites, we want to see an integrated waste
  strategy considering management options,
  proximity principle and climate change issues
• Specific projects must represent the BPEO

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LLW disposals way forward

• Interest
• Three landfill operators are preparing
  applications for HV-VLLW or LLW controlled burial
• First application expected soon
• Information
• Further guidance and FAQs on web pages
• Application forms and radiological assessment
  guidance drafted
• Early engagement with landfill operators being
  sought - we are advising now on content of
  applications

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LLWR developments

• Authorisation variations to facilitate treatment
  and disposal
• Safety case review

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LLW authorisation changes - context

• Nuclear site authorisations only currently allow
  transfer of waste to LLWR for the purposes of
  final disposal
• NDA National Nuclear LLW Strategy
• LLWR innovation proposals
• Encourage segregation at source and offer waste
  treatment services
• Short-term handling of small volumes of packaged
  waste via LLWR
• Application to transfer metals to Studsvik Metals
  Recycling Facility for treatment
• Studsvik Metals Recycling Facility (MRF) opening
  this summer

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LLW authorisation changes - proposals

• To authorise all nuclear sites in England and
  Wales
• To transfer metals to the Studsvik Metals
  Recycling Facility for treatment
• To transfer metals, combustible LLW and HV-VLLW
  to LLWR for the purposes of transfer elsewhere
  for treatment or alternate disposal in more
  appropriately engineered facilities (e.g.
  landfill)
• We are currently consulting on these proposals

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LLW authorisation changes - overview
Future facilities
Metals Recycling Facility, Lillyhall
(HV VLLW)
(combustible wastes)
LLWR
New route (metals)
Transfers for disposal or onward transfer
(metals, HV VLLW, combustible wastes
New route for all sites (metals)
All Nuclear Sites (England and Wales)
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LLW authorisation changes - benefits

• Support application of the waste management
  hierarchy
• Encourages moves to waste segregation
• Encourage transfers to treatment facilities for
  recycling
• Supports self-sufficiency for UK
• Preserve LLWR capacity
• Regulatory efficiency
• Cost savings

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• LLWR Environmental Safety Case - update

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Environmental Safety Case - update

• Requirement of the LLWR authorisation
• Design, operation and closure of the facility
  must be in accordance with the Environmental
  Safety Case
• Last submitted 2002
• Currently safe, but
• Adequate case for continued disposal (beyond
  Vault 8) not made
• Updated Environmental Safety Case being developed
  for May 2011

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Environmental Safety Case - progress

• Ongoing regulatory dialogue addressing key issues
  such as coastal erosion, site understanding and
  performance assessment
• Considerable progress made since 2002
• A number of comments and recommendations remain
  outstanding
• Delivery of a fully robust and underpinned
  Environmental Safety Case, addressing all our
  recommendations by May 2011 will be challenging,
  but we consider it to be achievable

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Environmental Safety Case - implications

• LLWR are not authorised for disposal beyond Vault
  8 (nearly full). Planning permission has been
  granted for storage in Vault 9 when constructed.
• We will not authorise further disposals until a
  satisfactory Environmental Safety Case is
  produced and will continue to require an
  acceptable case to be produced for past
  disposals.
• Following review of the 2011 updated
  Environmental Safety Case we will consider and
  consult on authorisation of further disposals
  around 2012/3.

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Summary

• The new LLW Policy offers increased flexibility
  to the UK nuclear industry
• We need to ensure public confidence in the
  delivery of LLW management solutions
• We have prepared guidance on LLW disposal to
  landfill and facilities on or adjacent to nuclear
  sites
• We are proposing to make some authorisation
  changes to facilitate application of the waste
  management hierarchy
• The Environmental Safety Case for the LLWR due in
  2011 has implications for future disposals

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Clarification questions?