Information about the regulation of radioactive waste going to landfill.
Changes to Government policy
Government announced its new policy on low level radioactive waste (LLW) management in March 2007. The policy includes revised regulation around the disposal of LLW to landfill. This means the nuclear industry can now dispose of the following LLW to landfill:
- high volume very low level waste (a new sub-category of LLW)
- controlled burials of LLW.
It is expected that the majority of waste that could go to landfill would consist of rubble and soil from decommissioning activities. This would contain only small amounts of radioactivity and we will limit the quantities permitted for disposal.
Permits
Landfill companies and nuclear operators have to apply to us for permits to dispose of low level radioactive waste.
You should contact your local Nuclear Regulatory Group to discuss any proposed application.
How we will assess applications for permits
- We will not permit a site for landfill disposal of LLW unless we are satisfied that the wastes proposed for disposal are safe. Any application will need to be accompanied by a full assessment of options and a satisfactory safety case.
- We will consult local authorities and the Office for Nuclear Regulation on any applications received. In addition we will require applicants to engage with potential local communities and other interested parties.
- We will not permit any disposals unless we are satisfied that public radiation exposures are below a ‘dose constraint’ of 0.3 millisieverts (mSv) per year. In most cases we would expect them to be no greater than 0.02 mSv per year (average UK doses from all sources, including natural background and medical exposures are about 2.6 mSv per year).
Article 37 submissions
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has advised that each proposal for disposal to landfill will require an Article 37 submission to be made under the Euratom Treaty. Each submission will need to contain an assessment of the potential impact of proposed disposals on other European Member States.
Once a submission has been made the Commission will take up to six months to give an opinion. We will not issue a permit for the disposals of radioactive waste to landfill until after a favourable opinion has been received from the Commission.
Recent applications
We have issued two permits for disposals to landfill sites and are dealing with one further application. Details are below.
Augean South Ltd.
Augean South Ltd applied for a permit to dispose of low level radioactive waste (LLW) in July 2009.
This application is for the disposal of solid LLW, (with a specific activity of less than or equal to 200Bq/g) and High Volume Very Low Level Waste (HV-VLLW), at East Northants Resource Management Facility, Stamford Road, Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire, PE8 6XX.
Their application stated that the waste will mainly be generated from the decommissioning and clean up of nuclear industry sites and will consist of items such as crushed concrete, soils, bricks. We consulted on the original application and requested and received additional information in November 2009. We decided that we were minded to grant the permit. We then consulted on our proposed permit and explanatory document from 19th February 2010 to 12th March 2010. We issued the permit on 25th May 2011.
In addition to requiring our permit, Augean would require planning permission before they can dispose of any LLW. The Northants Development Control Committee considered and rejected Augean’s planning application at a meeting on 16th March 2010. Augean appealed against this decision and the appeal was heard at an Inquiry in October 2010. A final decision on the appeal was announced by the Department for Communities and Local Government on 25th May 2011.
Public registers contain details of the application, further information responses and a copy of the explanatory document.
For more information you can contact us:
In addition further information can be obtained from Augean South Ltd.
Waste Recycling Group (WRG)
During May 2009 we received an application to dispose of High Volume Very Low Level Waste (HV-VLLW) to the Lillyhall Landfill Site at Joseph Noble Road, Cumbria from Waste Recycling Group.
The application was to dispose of no more than 26,000 metres cubed of HV-VLLW per year and if the landfill remains operational until 2031, no more that 582,000 metres cubed of HV-VLLW in total. This waste will be disposed of alongside non-radioactive waste, which is already being taken to the site. Waste Recycling Group anticipate that the majority of waste will arise from decommissioning activities at nuclear sites.
We consulted on the application and draft permit with local stakeholders in October 2009. In March 2011 the European Commission responded favourably on the Article 37 submission made by Waste Recycling Group.
On 6th April 2011 we issued the permit to Waste Recycling Group, allowing them to take the waste.
For more information you can contact us:
In addition further information or copies of the permit can be obtained from Waste Recycling Group.
Sita (Lancashire) Ltd
Sita (Lancashire) Ltd applied for a permit to dispose of low level radioactive waste (LLW) in November 2009.
The application relates to their existing landfill site at Clifton Marsh near Preston in Lancashire, PR4 0XE. The site already holds a permit, under the Environmental Permitting Regulations, to dispose of controlled waste. Separate authorisations under the Radioactive Substances Act have allowed disposal of low level radioactive waste at the site for over twenty years. Those authorisations are held by sites who consign waste to Clifton Marsh, but our regulatory policy is now that Sita should be permitted in their own right, hence the current application.
The application describes a range of waste material types, including decommissioning and demolition rubble, redundant plant and equipment, contaminated protective clothing and naturally-occurring radioactive material. Its average bulk activity would be below 200 Bq/g.
In March 2011 the European Commission responded favourably on the Article 37 submission made by SITA.
We consulted on the application and draft permit with local stakeholders in June 2011. Local authorities, elected members, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (an agency of HSE), Foods Standards Agency, members of the public and other interested parties, were all invited to comment and we are now considering the responses. Our documents are listed below.
For more information you can contact us:
In addition further information can be obtained from Sita.
Further information
We’ve published frequently asked questions on how we will regulate the disposal of low level radioactive waste to landfill sites.
