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Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what checks are made on low-level radioactive waste sites; how often they are checked; and by whom checks are done. [157261] Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency (EA), under the provisions of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, regulates low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLW) disposal sites in England and Wales. This is achieved through authorisations which impose various conditions on the site operator. The authorisations require the operator to routinely report to the EA disposals against the authorised limits. In addition to reviewing these reports, the EA periodically inspects all authorised LLW disposal sites, to ensure that the conditions of the authorisation remain appropriate, and are being complied with. The primary UK national LLW disposal site, operated by BNFL at Drigg in West Cumbria, is regulated by both the EA and by the Nuclear Safety Directorate of the Health and Safety Executive, under the provisions of the Nuclear Installations Act 1965. The EA monitors radioactivity in surface waters (leachates, boreholes and nearby rivers and streams) around waste disposal (landfill) sites where disposals of low-level radioactive waste are authorised. This is undertaken on an annual or bi-annual basis. BNFL undertake quarterly monitoring programmes of boreholes at the Clifton Marsh landfill site. In addition the company carries out quarterly dose rate surveys in relation to the Ulnes Walton landfill site and monitoring of the River Lostock close to the outfall point. The results of these monitoring programmes can be found on the BNFL website at www.bnfl.com. The EA undertakes a thorough radioactivity monitoring regime in the vicinity of the Drigg site. This includes monitoring of surface waters and sediments bi- annually and monitoring of sands, sediments and seaweeds on the West Cumbrian coast four times per year. The Food Standards Agency also carries out monitoring of foods in West Cumbria to check that food produced around Sellafield and Drigg is safe. The monitoring includes seafoods caught from the Irish Sea off the West Cumbrian coast. From 2002, the results of all the environmental monitoring carried out by the Environment Agency and by the Food Standards Agency are reported jointly and annually in the Radioactivity in Food and the Environment report series, copies of which are placed in the Library.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

418 c1539-40W;418 c1541-2W; 157261

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Fisheries Environment Agency Radioactive waste Monitoring Regulation Waste disposal Irish Sea Drigg

Link

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