UK Perspective on Social Issues and Environmental Implications of Radioactive Waste Management

Abstract

This paper traces the history of radwaste disposal policy in the UK, and outlines the interaction between the industry which generates the waste, the government responsible for the national strategy for dealing with it and the public. It describes the formation of Nirex as the industry's vehicle for disposal with the clear remit also to win "a measure of support" for its proposals. The paper describes how lessons learned over the last decade have affected major decisions, by government and the Company, and have influenced our current approach. In the United Kingdom the establishment of clear means for disposal of radwaste has been seen since the early 1970s as essential for the future development of the nuclear power industry. Since the early 1980s, attention has been focused on early development of a disposal route for intermediate level waste (ILW). Disposal of the small volume of high level heat-generating waste would be undertaken only after it had been vitrified and cooled in surface storage for at least fifty years. Since 1987, the national disposal strategy, defined by the government, has been that for all classes of intermediate level wastes, "early disposal in a deep facility is the right answer". Thus alongside a framework of regulation relating to safety and environmental aspects of disposal, the government has also set down the broad shape of the solution. Nirex was formed in 1982 to co-ordinate the nuclear industry's responsibilities on radwaste disposal within the framework of government policy. Its initial attempts to develop a near surface disposal facility for the less problematic wastes did not come to fruition because of public and political pressures. This led to changes by government in the national disposal strategy and attention switched to the search for a deep multi-purpose facility. The consequent need to re-address the issue of siting allowed the principles of site selection to be re-examined. In 1987 Nirex undertook a large scale public consultation exercise which had a major impact on its deep site selection exercise. In 1989, the company announced that Dounreay in Scotland and Sellafield in North-West England were the first of twelve sites (selected because of the potential suitability of their geology) to be studied. In 1991, Sellafield was selected as the "preferred" site and investigations are now concentrated there. The paper describes how relations with the local community have progressed and describes how local concerns are being addressed.