LOW LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENTImplementation issues – the Government’s

perspective (DECC & NDA)

Bruce Cairns & Matthew Clark

22nd March 2011

Context

• Over 50 years of nuclear activities in UK

• Decommissioning and waste legacy to manage in long term

• Challenges and lessons from the past

• But there are now opportunities to grasp for the future

Policy Development

• Policy consultation process through 2005/2006

• Pre-consultation events in two stages – changes to draft policy

• Consultation period

• Follow-up event

• March 2007 joint Government policy statement on Solid Low Level Waste Management – UK/SG/WAG/NI

Key elements of policy

• Waste hierarchy

• Better segregation

• Use of volume reduction – recycling – treatment – re-use opportunities

• Avoiding disposal and using appropriate disposal routes when it is necessary

• Do not need to send everything to Drigg

• NOT about sending everything to landfill!

• About increasing options available to operators to better manage inventory – efficiency – hierarchy – environmental impacts

Opportunities to do things better

• Need to apply waste hierarchy• Take advantage of treatment opportunities• Image courtesy of Studsvik UK

UK Nuclear Industry LLW Strategy

• NDA tasked with developing UK-wide strategy for managing nuclear LLW

• Consultation during 2009:

– Support for application of waste hierarchy to LLW management

– Capacity at UK LLWR should be used wisely

– Varied response to use of landfills for VLLW

– Need for early dialogue emphasized

• Consultation extended to provide greater opportunity to respond

• Final strategy published August 2010

2.1 Principles

2.2 Integrated Waste Management

2.3 Planning and decision making

2.4 Characterisation and waste information

2.5 The Waste Hierarchy

2.6 Packaging and transport

UK Nuclear Industry LLW Strategy

UK Nuclear Industry LLW Strategy

UK Nuclear Industry LLW Strategy

3.1 Community involvement and stakeholder engagement

3.2 The role of the supply chain

3.3 Low Level Waste issues that require further consideration

3.4 Innovation

3.5 Monitoring strategy implementation

3.6 Risks, opportunities and contingency planning

UK Nuclear Industry LLW Strategy

Challenges

Balancing benefits, costs, safety etc

Forecasting waste arisings

Supporting emerging opportunities

Public perception

Working together with stakeholders

Getting “early dialogue” right

Discussion of potential issues