The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

  A framework for UK partnerships (269kb)
is paper outlines an overarching framework that could be used to develop a Local Partnership to consider the implementation of a geological repository in potential host communities in the UK. The framework has been developed based on international practice, namely in Belgium, Canada and Sweden. The paper draws on the experiences of running local partnerships in other countries. In particular participation by Nirex and local UK representatives in the CARL and COWAM 2 projects has helped to develop the paper. These are international research projects that bring together waste management organisations, regulators, researchers and local stakeholders to improve stakeholder engagement in radioactive waste management. The paper has been developed by Nirex together with Anne Bergmans from the University of Antwerp who was instrumental in setting up and running the partnerships in Belgium. The paper has been developed to provide information for discussion with Government and local communities. The paper outlines the elements that could be included in a partnership and issues that will need to be taken into account when setting up a partnership in the UK. It provides suggestions about how these issues could be addressed. However, the exact nature and functioning of any partnership will need to be developed in close collaboration with the local community (or communities) who express an interest in hosting a repository. The paper is structured under the following headings: *Aims of a partnership approach *Context *A methodology for establishing community partnerships *Features of a partnership *Additional elements for consideration

  Annual Plan 2006/7 (837kb)
Second Annual Plan to set out what we intend to achieve in 2006/7.

  Appendices for report on radioactive waste substitution (359kb)
Appendices for report on radioactive waste substitution 2006

  Assessment of Post-closure Implications (1.55mb)
This Technical Note reports work undertaken to assess the implications, on calculated risk from the groundwater, gas and human intrusion pathways, of adopting a new reference case inventory for the GPA. This inventory sums input from two sources: the "variant case" inventory considered in the GPA03, and the additional technetium 99 inventory present in the Backlog MAC floc and TPP/Tc Total and Trial Inventory, a waste stream that has already received a final Letter of Compliance from Nirex. The Technical Note also briefly considers the consequences on the chemical toxicity assessment reported in GPA03 of the revised inventory, and criticality issues. In conclusion, the incorporation of Backlog MAC floc and TPP/Tc Total and Trial Inventory into a revised inventory would not present any issues for areas considered in this Technical Note. The key issue affecting the incorporation of Final Stage (Stage 3) Decommissioning Wastes into a revised inventory relates to the assessment of the gas pathway, in particular the potential for graphite (86% of the total inventory of graphite is present in the Final Stage (Stage 3) Decommissioning Wastes) to act as a source of carbon 14 bearing gas.

  Biological uptake routes for worst case probabilistic realisations in the assessment of the groundwater pathway for the Nirex PGRC, Nirex Technical Note, July 2006 (251kb)
Report provided by Nirex to the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM). The information requested by CoRWM has been presented in tabular form in Table 1.

  Contents Specification for the Nirex 4m Box Design No. GB3852, RM Consultants R04-086(C) 528067 6490438 2007 (1.52mb)
The role of Nirex is to provide environmentally sound options for the long term management of radioactive wastes generated by the nation's commercial, medical, research and defence activities. In support of this role Nirex undertakes design and development of transport containers in order to demonstrate that packaged wastes may be transported through the public domain in accordance with the relevant legislation. One such family of designs that is being developed for the transport of unshielded waste packages is known as the Sellafield Waste Transport Containers (SWTC). This family is intended to transport not only Nirex standard ILW waste packages, but also some non-standard ILW waste packages. The Nirex 4m Box is designed for the packaging, interim storage, transport, and eventual disposal of intermediate level waste (ILW) that is either low specific activity (LSA) material or surface contaminated objects (SCO). The package consists of a stainless steel container, concrete shielding and the conditioned radioactive contents. Its overall dimensions are 4.0m long, 2.5m wide amd 2.2m high, and its maximum weight is 65t. It is designed to meet the requirements of the IAEA Regulations for a non-fissile industrial package Type 2 (IP2) and to be transportable by rail, road or sea within the UK. This specification sets out the requirements that must be met for the radioactive contents to be transported in the 4m Box. The main criteria fall under the following headings: . LSA and SCO requirements . shielding and dose rates; . physical and chemical properties of the waste; . gas generation and hazardous materials; . maximum weight and asymmetric loading; . heat generation.<br /><br />

  Context Note 4.1: Retrievability, A Technical Note, December 2005 (172kb)
Paper provided by Nirex to the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) in 2005/6.

  Cost profiles for CoRWM Option 7 (Deep Geological Disposal) and Option 9 (Phased Deep Geological Disposal), June 2006 (5.64mb)
Paper provided by Nirex to the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) in 2005/6.

  Development of Increased Understanding of Potential Radiological Impacts of Radioactive Gases from a Deep Geological Repository - Sensitivity Studies with the Enhanced RIMERS Model (1.31mb)
This reports on a comprehensive sensitivity study, using the enhanced version of RIMERS model, to provide a set of results suitable for underpinning future Performance Assessment (PA) calculations.

  Draft Annual Plan 2006/7 (532kb)
NDA Draft Annual Plan for consultation includes background information and overview of proposed activities, as well as details of the budget and proposed expenditure for 06/07