Documents listed in this section of our website were produced by us (or predecessor bodies) to provide more information on various aspects of geological disposal of radioactive waste.

The list is not exhaustive and you may find other helpful information in our document library and on other organisations' websites.

 Frequently Asked Questions related to Geological Disposal (60Kb) 

For more information, including responses to consultations, see our consultations section

Issues

Stakeholders who have raised issues about geological disposal of radioactive waste can see how their concerns are being considered and addressed via the online issues register:

• View the issues register for geological disposal

2010 Inventory (wastes to be managed)

See UK Radioactive Waste Inventory 2010 Website for the following documents:

Executive Summary (2011)
This summarises the 2010 UK Radioactive Waste Inventory and provides an overview of the amounts of raw waste that either exist or will arise in future.

Main report (2011)
This is the detailed document that provides information on volumes that exist today and will arise in the future.

 

 

 

International data report (2011)
This provides the necessary information required for international reporting to the IAEA.

Review of processes contributing to radioactive waste in the UK (2008)
This report explains how and why radioactive wastes are produced in the UK. Its purpose is to inform those who have no involvement with radioactive waste about the primary processes that give rise to radioactive wastes and how these wastes are dealt with.

Radioactive materials report (2011)
This report provides details of those materials that are not currently classified as waste e.g. plutonium, uranium and spent nuclear fuel, but may be classified as such in the future.

 Radioactive Wastes in the UK - the 2010 estimate of radioactive waste for Geological Disposal (2Mb)
DECC and the NDA have produced this report for those with an interest in geological disposal of radioactive waste, in particular any local community or communities who may be involved in, or considering involvement in, a geological disposal facility siting process. The report provides an estimate of the wastes and materials currently identified as potentially for disposal in a geological facility and is based on the information published in the full 2010 UK Radioactive Waste Inventory.

 Implications of the 2010 UK Radioactive Waste Inventory on the generic Disposal System Safety Case August 2011 (600Kb)
The objective of this report is to identify whether changes introduced by the 2010 UKRWI have implications for the generic DSSC. In particular this reports aims to:

• set out where findings of the generic DSSC might change
• determine what future research needs are required due to the 2010 UKRWI.

 An explanation of the differences between the 2007 derived inventory and equivalent wastes and materials in the 2010 UK Radioactive Waste Inventory (2Mb)
This report explains the differences between the 2007 Derived Inventory and equivalent wastes and materials in the 2010 UK Radioactive Waste Inventory.

Regulatory implementation

 Diagram illustrating stages 1 to 6 of the Permissions Schedule for geological disposal of higher activity radioactive waste (300Kb)
The Permissions Schedule illustrates the sequence of activities including

- safety

- environmental and

- planning permissions

we expect will be needed to allow geological disposal to take place. The Permissions Schedule extends well into the future; our planning assumption is that first radioactive waste emplacement will occur around 2040.

 Permissions Schedule for geological disposal of higher activity radioactive waste - November 2010 (2Mb)

 

Regulatory scrutiny

The two documents detailed below are available on request via the Environment Agency.

See Regulating Geological Disposal (Environment Agency Website) for:

Regulatory review of the Generic Disposal System Safety Case December 2011 (PDF, 1.1MB) 

Briefing note - Regulatory review of the Generic Disposal System Safety Case December 2011 (PDF, 32KB)

 

Site assessment process

Initial geological unsuitability screening of West Cumbria
This report sets out results of high-level geological unsuitability screening for the Copeland and Allerdale areas of west Cumbria undertaken by British Geological Survey (BGS). The geological screening was a desk-based study only, using currently available information and not involving new field investigations. It rules out areas that could not host the underground workings of a geological disposal facility for higher activity radioactive waste.

 

 A proposed framework for Stage 4 of the MRWS Site Selection Process (2008) (2Mb)
This report provides an initial response to Government’s request that the NDA develop proposals for the approach to be used in Stage 4 of the MRWS site selection process.

 

 

 Letter from Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB (SKB) (2008) (162Kb)
This letter provides comments on the proposed framework for Stage 4 of the MRWS Site Selection Process from a Swedish perspective.

 

 

 

 Letter from London School of Economics (LSE) (2008) (85Kb)
This letter provides comments on the proposed framework for Stage 4 of the MRWS Site Selection Process from an academic perspective.

 

 

 

International position

 National policies on the long-term management of higher activity wastes (2008) (50Kb)
This document provides an update on all countries that require a national policy and implementation programme for the long-term management of its wastes.

 

 

Literature reviews

 Managing Radioactive Waste Safely: Literature Review of UK Experiences of Partnership (2007) (1Mb)
This review investigates how the elements of community partnerships in other countries have been used in the UK.

 

 

 

 Managing Radioactive Waste Safely: Literature Review of International Experiences of Partnership (2007) (1Mb)
This review investigates how international radioactive waste management programmes use community partnerships. It provides an introduction to the concepts of partnership working and outlines the elements of community partnerships internationally.

 

Supplier Information

 Supplier Feedback from Geological Disposal Facility Workshop January 2009 (1Mb)
NDA hosted an event for potential suppliers to understand more about the programme to implement geological disposal. Delegates contributed their views to help develop the Contracting and Commercial Strategy for Geological Disposal Facility.