Copeland GDF Working Group Launched

Today it has been announced that a GDF Working Group has been formed in Copeland, West Cumbria, to start local engagement on whether Copeland could be a suitable location to host a GDF for the UK’s higher activity wastes. In line with Government policy, this is the first stage of the siting process and enables the start of a conversation within the community and with the developer Radioactive Waste Management (RWM).

The Working Group will engage with citizens across the community to begin to understand their views and to to identify and propose a Search Area for consideration by RWM. The remit of the Working Group also covers the recruitment of the Partnership that will ultimately progress the initiative with RWM.

So far the Working Group comprises representatives from three “Interested Parties”, an independent Chair (Mike Cullinan) , independent facilitator, Copeland Borough Council and RWM. The Interested Parties are not named in the Working Group’s launch press release but are described on the RWM web story as individuals and organisations who initially asked RWM to consider whether a GDF could be located in the area.

The establishment of the Working Group represents a major milestone in this the latest attempt to find a site for a GDF for the UK’s inventory of higher activity wastes. I for one wish the initiative well and will be watching progress with interest. I also hope that progress here will encourage other communities to likewise start GDF siting conversations.

RWM publish Approach to Environmental and Sustainability Assessment

In March 2020 Radioactive Waste Management published a significant technical report titled RWM’s approach to environmental and sustainability assessment (report no NDA/RWM/165). Apologies that I did not spot this addition to the list of publications at the time!

The report’s stated purpose is

… to explain RWM’s approach to external stakeholders, providing reassurance that environmental and sustainability issues will be fully taken into account during the implementation of geological disposal and will be properly integrated with RWM’s wider work programme – including the siting process, design development and safety case development for a GDF.

This report provides a welcome level of further detail on the scope and purpose of the environmental and sustainability assessments that RWM will be required to undertake and publish in support of its development of the proposed GDF. Ideally one would like to read the report in conjunction with the previously published Site Evaluation approaches (see news report 18 February 2020) but the use of different terminology between the reports makes this more difficult than it should be. I hope and suggest that RWM update the Site Evaluation approaches (for England and Wales) to recognise and integrate this new work.

RWM Report NDA/RWM/165

RWM Report NDA/RWM/165

RWM publish Site Evaluation approaches for England and Wales

Following last year’s public consultation on the approaches to site evaluation, RWM has today published the final reports detailing how they propose to evaluate potential GDF sites in England and in Wales. The approach is similar in both cases with minor changes only where needed to reflect the different local authority structures, regulatory bodies and planning arrangements.

I am pleased to report that the proposals are much improved on the versions issued for consultation back in December 2018/January 2019 with more detail provided and improved descriptions of the Siting Factors and Evaluation Considerations and importantly, how they will be used.

RWM has also provided a Consultation Response report describing the feedback received and how dealt with in the finalised documents.

IAEA workshop on the Roadmap for implementing geological disposal

This week I am in Vienna at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency supporting a workshop for European radioactive waste management organisations on the Roadmap for implementing geological disposal for ILW, HLW and Spent Fuel.

Participants at the workshop are from countries that are just setting out on the road to improve management of these wastes and who ultimately wish to develop and deliver a geological disposal programme. I am immediately struck that participants (from Hungary, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey and Ukraine) all wish to ‘do the right thing’ both technically and for their stakeholders, but often lack the policy, regulatory, organisational and social infrastructure that we take for granted in the UK. Lack of funding and shortage of experienced people is a common theme.

We have discussed the experience and lessons learned from the UK attempts at implementing geological disposal and how this has shaped (and hopefully improved) policy. We have looked at issues that the organisations are facing and with my IAEA counterpart, have been able to provide guidance and advice to improve the robustness of the programmes and to point to existing materials and publications where issues have previously been addressed.

For these countries (in fact for all countries) the road to geological disposal is a long one and the IAEA is taking a proactive stance in supporting national programmes and helping them to achieve this goal in the most efficacious way. This is particularly helpful for countries with small radioactive inventories and limited resources. I have been very pleased to be part of this and look forward to working with this dedicated group again.

National Policy Statement for Geological Disposal Infrastructure is Designated

Ministerial Statement made today by Nadhim Zahawi - Minister for Business and Industry:

Today I am pleased to designate the National Policy Statement for Geological Disposal Infrastructure, which was laid in parliament on 4 July.

This is an important milestone in finding a solution to manage the UK’s higher activity radioactive waste and this marks the final step in the parliamentary process for the National Policy Statement.

It is important that we who have benefitted from nuclear technology take appropriate steps now to manage the waste created from using that technology. Nuclear technology has provided clean energy to our homes and businesses and will continue to play an important role as we transition to a carbon neutral economy. For a long time, we have also used radioactive materials to treat and diagnose serious illnesses, to deliver research and development and to help deliver industrial processes. Radioactive waste is created from a variety of sources including electricity generation, defence and healthcare, and geological disposal is internationally recognised as the safest and most secure means of permanently managing a proportion of this waste not suitable for other management regimes.

The National Policy Statement for Geological Disposal Infrastructure sets out the need for such disposal infrastructure to safely and securely manage the UK’s higher activity radioactive wastes. The National Policy Statement provides an appropriate and effective framework for the Planning Inspectorate and the Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to examine and make decisions on development consent applications for geological disposal infrastructure in England

In order to support the requirements for the designation of the National Policy Statement for Geological Disposal Infrastructure, I am also publishing the Final Habitats Regulations Assessment Report and the Post Adoption Statement for the Appraisal of Sustainability on the department’s website.

National Policy Statement for Geological Disposal Infrastructure

Following public consultation earlier this year and scrutiny by the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, the Government has today ‘laid before Parliament’ its National Policy Statement for Geological Disposal Infrastructure. It is expected that the NPS will be finally designated i.e. published, in the late Summer/Autumn.

This NPS will be used as the primary basis for the examination by the Planning Inspectorate, and for decisions by the Secretary of State, in considering development consent applications for geological disposal infrastructure i.e. deep investigation boreholes or a GDF (geological disposal facility).

Peer review of Ghana Atomic Energy Commission proposals for disposal of disused sources

Very pleased to be engaged by IAEA to lead an independent peer review of proposals from the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) to dispose of disused sealed radioactive sources in a purpose-designed borehole. The peer review team comprised myself and three other international experts. During the course of the mission we reviewed the GAEC borehole safety case, safety assessments for operations and post-closure and geological investigation work undertaken to characterise the proposed disposal site. The review concluded with a week-long meeting at the Vienna headquarters of the IAEA where we discussed and presented our findings to IAEA and GAEC representatives.

Illustration from IAEA publication Management of Disused Sealed Radioactive Sources report NW-T-1.3

Response to RWM's Site Evaluation (Wales) Consultation

Barlow Geosafety has today submitted a response to the public consultation on Radioactive Waste Management proposals for evaluation of potential geological disposal sites in Wales. The proposals are similar to those published for siting in England but tailored for the differing policy, planning and regulatory regimes in Wales. In our view this has only been partially successful.

See the response here

Post Graduate Educational Course in Radiation Protection and the Safety of Radiation Sources

For the period 29 January to 1 February I am pleased to be working with the Greek Atomic Energy Commission (EEAE) helping to deliver their Post Graduate Education Course (PGEC) in Radiation Protection and the Safety of Radiation Sources. This is a course offered by EEAE in their capacity of IAEA Regional Training Centre in Europe. My role during the week is to deliver a series of lectures on the topic of Radioactive Waste Management.