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Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Answer

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what written guidance he has given to BNFL on ensuring its commitments under the OSPAR SINTRA agreement are met in respect of discharges from Sellafield. [130868] Mr. Meacher: BNFL is aware of the Government's policy that there should be progressive reductions in radioactive discharges. The Government will shortly publish for consultation a draft of the statutory guidance that it proposes to issue to the Environment Agency on the setting of radioactive discharge authorisations under the Radioactive Substances Act. The draft guidance will reiterate the requirement that there should be progressive reductions in radioactive discharges. The guidance will also ensure that discharge authorisations granted by the Agency are consistent with the Government's radioactive discharges strategy, a draft of which was published for consultation on 21 June. The strategy sets out how the Government are going to meet the commitments entered into at the OSPAR meeting in Sintra in 1998 to reduce radioactive discharges.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

354 c258W; 130868

Session

1999-00

Subjects

British Nuclear Fuels Environment protection Radioactive waste Radioactive materials Waste disposal Sellafield OSPAR Convention

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk