The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

The NDA's work on decommissioning and environmental restoration inevitably generates waste, but until 2007, the Government Radioactive Waste Policy did not fully address large volume waste arisings. As a result, the Government and devolved administrations consulted on and published a revised policy for Solid Low Level Waste (LLW) in 2007.

One of the policy requirements was to give the NDA responsibility for producing a UK Nuclear Industry LLW strategy – the first of its kind. The NDA produced the draft strategy in June this year, which went out for consultation in summer.

At present, most of the UK's solid low level radioactive waste from the nuclear industry is disposed of at the national Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR) near Drigg, Cumbria.

The continued availability of a disposal route for LLW is considered vital by both the nuclear industry and non-nuclear industry LLW producers. The Repository has been in use since 1959 and the existing vaults are now close to capacity.

More space is being constructed right now and there are plans for expansion. But even with all this extra capacity (potentially to extend the site to 700,000 cubic metres subject to planning and regulatory approvals), there will still be a significant shortfall compared with the amount of waste forecast to be generated over the long term (3,000,000 cubic metres over 120 years).

This means that the remaining capacity must be carefully managed. Waste generation must be minimised overall and unavoidable waste dealt with in the most appropriate manner. The strategy looks at ways of reducing the amount of waste generated and needing disposal through the principles (known as the waste hierarchy) of prevention, reduction, reuse, recycling and waste treatment. This will preserve this important national asset and reduce or defer the need for an additional national facility in the future.

The proposed strategy comprises three strategic themes:

• application of the waste management hierarchy to avoid and minimise waste generation, and ensure waste is managed in a risk-based, fit-for-purpose manner
• best use of existing assets which will help to extend the life of the LLWR
• new fit-for-purpose waste management routes

The NDA is looking to the waste management supply chain to take a role in implementing the strategy. Given its maturity and expert capabilities, it is in a position to take up this role as the majority of waste management solutions that are required to implement this strategy are or will be available. Close working between the supply chain and the nuclear estate will ensure a successful strategy.

The best use of existing assets focuses on the role of the UK LLW Repository, setting approaches to ensure the optimised use of the facility for those wastes where disposal cannot be avoided.

In practice, this will mean ensuring that the repository is only used for waste that requires the level of safety, security and environmental protection offered by vaulted disposal at LLWR - for example making sure that the site capacity is not used for Very Low Level Waste (VLLW). There are also opportunities to improve the packaging of LLW for disposal and also how waste is transported to and from sites.

A key action in the strategy includes widening the service provision at the LLWR to include waste treatment as well as disposal.

The services will be provided through the supply chain, however, using the LLWR as a hub has the potential for generating efficiencies of scale and as an expansion of an existing route should prove easier for waste managers to start using as soon as they are available.

Consultation

The consultation on the draft strategy, which opened in June 2009, is continuing and gives members of the public a chance to comment on the proposals.

• See Our Consultations

The responses received so far have already highlighted some key points for consideration regarding alternative waste treatment and disposal sites. These will now be reviewed in detail and used to further refine the strategy.

Michael Calloway, the NDA's Head of Low Level Waste, said:

"The comments will help us to produce the best possible solution for effectively managing the UK's solid low level radioactive waste now and for the future."

High in volume but low in radioactivity

Solid LLW has been produced by both the nuclear (power generation, decommissioning of nuclear sites and maintenance of the UK nuclear deterrent) and non-nuclear (universities, hospitals, pharmaceutical industry etc.) sectors since the 1920s. LLW is made up of a wide range of materials, including plastic, paper, tissue, clothing, wood, metal and building rubble.

It makes up approximately 90% of the total volume of the UK's radioactive waste – but contains less than 0.0003% of the radioactivity. Predicted volumes of LLW average at approximately 25,000 cubic metres per year. To put this into some context, 335 million tonnes of conventional (non-radioactive) waste are generated in England and Wales each year. With a tonne of waste roughly the same as one cubic metre of waste, LLW is equivalent to just 0.0075% of conventional waste arisings.

The Government's 2007 policy included a revised approach for disposal options, allowing some material with lower levels of radioactivity to be sent to landfill. In the case of small volumes of very low level waste, this can be disposed of at ordinary landfill sites or incinerated. Such waste, likely to include material from hospitals or universities, contains little total radioactivity and can be safely treated alongside household, commercial and industrial waste.

Bulk volumes are more likely to be in the form of contaminated demolition waste and soil from the nuclear industry, along with other general wastes, and must be sent to landfill sites with the relevant authorisations.

Other forms of low level waste can also be sent to special landfill sites subject to a detailed assessment of the radiological impact and authorisation from regulators.

All waste disposal sites must secure planning permission via local regulatory procedures which are subject to consultation with interested parties, including members of the public.

The policy sets out a new framework for more flexible management of solid low level radioactive waste taking account of the diverse physical, chemical and radiological nature of LLW and the increasing volumes arising from large-scale decommissioning and nuclear site restoration in the UK.