UK Radioactive Waste Inventory

2010 UK Radioactive Waste Inventory

HMNB Portsmouth

The 2010 Radioactive Waste Inventory (i.e. 2010 Inventory) is the latest public record of information on radioactive waste present in the UK. It describes the sources, quantities and properties of radioactive waste that existed at 1 April 2010 and that were forecast to arise in the future in the UK. A summary of radioactive wastes managed in the UK, England, Scotland and Wales is available from the website page Waste by Country. For information on radioactive waste managed on individual sites in the UK, go to UK Sites.

More detailed information on the 2010 Inventory can be found in a series of reports:

• The summary report for the 2010 Inventory
  The summary report (12 pages) is aimed at a broad audience. It outlines information on the position on radioactive waste in the UK, what is radioactive waste, how it is produced and how much there is in the UK, where is it located and how it is routinely managed within the UK.
• The main report for the 2010 Inventory
  The main report (about 140 pages) is aimed at technical experts. It contains summary information on radioactive wastes for both stock and future arisings: descriptive information, volumes (i.e. as stored, conditioned and packaged volumes), mass, number of waste packages, radionuclide composition, physical and chemical properties. It also provides a comparison with the previous Inventory and brief explanations of any changes.
• A summary of information for international reporting
  This report (about 20 pages) provides information to meet international reporting requirements on radioactive waste based on a stock date of 1 April 2010. This includes the classification of the UK radioactive waste as short and long-lived waste.
• A review of the processes contributing to radioactive wastes in the UK
  The processes report (about 80 pages) describes what is radioactivity and radioactive waste, how nuclear materials are used in the UK and radioactive waste produced.

You can download all these reports from this website (click on the appropriate report title above). Alternatively, you can request printed copies of the reports – go to Contact Us.

The JET facility at Culham

Summary information on radioactive materials not reported in the 2010 Inventory that existed at 1 April 2010 and that were forecast to be used in the future in the UK is also provided in a separate document - A summary of radioactive materials not reported in the 2010 Inventory. This report (about 30 pages) is aimed at a broad audience. It contains summary information on:

• UK civil radioactive materials that are not currently classified as waste, i.e. uranium, plutonium and nuclear fuels;
• radioactively contaminated ground and other radioactive substances (some of which are deemed to be waste) that are not sufficiently characterised to be reported in the Inventory (these are substances with high uncertainty on their arisings and/or quantity and characteristics of such arisings).

You can download this report from this website (click on the report title above). Alternatively, you can request printed copies of the report – go to Contact Us.

Please do not hesitate to Contact Us if you have any queries on the 2010 Inventory and/or radioactive waste and materials in the UK.