Written question asked by Caroline Lucas (Green Party) on Wednesday, 9 February 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 11 February 2011. It was answered by Lord Robathan (Conservative) on Thursday, 17 February 2011 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Christmas Island: Radioactive Waste

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the location is of the (a) toxic and (b) radiologically-contaminated waste recovered as a result of the remediation programme conducted on Christmas Island following the nuclear tests conducted in the 1950s; what site licences cover the disposals; and what the cost to the public purse was of the clean-up and remediation programme.

Answer: The majority of waste recovered was inert and largely comprised of metal.Toxic or otherwise hazardous waste, including radioactive materials were transported back to the UK for disposal.Lead, asbestos and 'exempt' radioactive radium wastes were consigned to landfill in Middlesbrough, at a facility suitably licensed to receive this material. Some 18.7 tonnes of uncontaminated lead was recycled at South Darley. Low level radioactive radium waste was sent via Winfrith, an organisation licensed to handle such material, to the UK low level waste repository in Drigg, Cumbria, which is licensed to accept such waste. The radioactive waste largely consisted of luminised dials from abandoned vehicles.The cost of the clean-up and remediation programme was £9.1 million. The cost has risen from that previously given in answers to parliamentary questions due to the resolution of outstanding contractual issues.

Secondary information