Post-Graduate course on Radiation Safety

I’m just back from an assignment in Riyadh where I had been invited to present lectures on radioactive waste management at a Radiation Protection and Safety post-graduate course run by the Saudi nuclear regulatory commission (NRRC) and supported by IAEA.

I had the pleasure of meeting some great students - both men and women - from medical, oil and gas, radioactive source manufacture sectors as well as the nascent nuclear sector. What a great bunch of students - enthusiastic, interested and engaged - just what a lecturer hopes for!

One of the groups discuss the practical exercise

Allerdale Community Partnership to be formed

It is reported today in the Allerdale Working Group newsletter that the Council has voted in favour of joining a GDF Community Partnership. The Working Group will as a result start to wind down in favour of a larger and more enduring Community Partnership, expected to be formed in the New Year.

As reported here in October, a Search Area based on the 13 Allerdale District electoral wards has been proposed. As previously announced, the area within the boundary of the Lake District National Park is excluded from consideration. Deep geology beyond the coast is being considered for the siting of the underground elements of a GDF with access from surface facilities on or near the coast.

Second Community Partnership Established in Copeland

It is announced today that a second Community Partnership has been established to take forward the discussion and exploration of issues of GDF development in the borough of Copeland.

The South Copeland GDF Community Partnership joins the Mid Copeland GDF Partnership that was established last month. Each Partnership has its own Search Area as described in the post of 29 September and has access to £1 million pounds investment funding as part of the GDF siting process.

International Conference on Radioactive Waste Management: Solutions for a Sustainable Future

This week I am in Vienna working at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency acting as Chief Rapporteur for the above international conference. With participants from around the world sharing experience and best-practice approaches in the management of radioactive waste this conference is timely indeed, coinciding as it does with the gathering of world-leaders at the CoP26 in Glasgow.

Finland’s high-level nuclear waste disposal facility at Olkiluoto, which will soon become the world’s first operational deep geological repository for high level waste, was highlighted by the IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, as a proof of progress in waste management and a game changer for the long-term sustainability of nuclear energy. In his opening address he said “We have solutions for a sustainable future, just like the title of this conference says.” Other opening speakers made the point that the challenge is not demonstrating the technology or safety case but for developers to communicate and engage with society and communities, so that they can progress in true partnership.

Theddlethorpe GDF Working Group established

It has been announced today that a third GDF Working Group has been established. The new Working Group represents the community of Theddlethorpe in the East Lindsey District of Lincolnshire and has a dedicated website (here).

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. The brown-field site of the now redundant Theddlethorpe Gas Terminal has been identified as being of particular interest as the possible host for the GDF surface works.

So far the Working Group comprises representatives from Lincolnshire County Council and Theddlethorpe Parish Council, an independent Chair (Jon Collins), independent facilitator and RWM. East Lindsey District Council has also been invited to join and is currently considering this.

The Initial Evaluation Report provided by RWM is available for download from the Working Group’s website.

Allerdale Working Group proposes Search Area for further consideration

The Allerdale GDF Working Group has today posted its proposal for a Search Area which can be used by Radioactive Waste Management as the basis for further GDF siting studies. The proposed Search Area is based on 13 Allerdale District electoral wards as shown below. As previously announced, the area within the boundary of the Lake District National Park will continue to be excluded from consideration.

Deep geology beyond the coast is also being considered for the siting of the underground elements of a GDF with access from surface facilities on or near the coast.

Copeland Working Group proposes two Search Areas and Community Partnerships

The Copeland GDF Working Group has today posted proposals for two Search Areas and associated Community Partnerships. One Search Area includes the electoral wards of Gosforth & Seascale and Beckermet. The second Search Area includes the electoral wards of Millom and Black Combe & Scafell. As previously announced, the area within the Lake District National Park and proposed extension will continue to be excluded from consideration.

Both Search Areas include consideration of geology deep off-shore with access from surface facilities on or near the coast.

Mark Cullinan, Chair of the Copeland GDF Working Group, said: “We are still in the very early part of the GDF journey and it’s up to the local authorities and RWM to now decide whether we progress further to forming Community Partnerships. We look forward to their decision in the coming weeks.”

European Commission Summer School on Nuclear Decommissioning and Waste Management

Once again I am pleased to support the European Commission by lecturing to Master’s level students on radioactive waste management and disposal as part of the annual Summer School on Nuclear Decommissioning and Waste Management. Whilst last year the Summer School had to be cancelled, this year the organisers have been able to run the school albeit as a virtual event.

Despite the limitations imposed due to its virtual nature, some 40 post-graduate students have attended the week-long event which is organised within the framework of the European ELINDER project.

Allerdale GDF Working Group Launched

Today it has been announced that a second Working Group has been formed as part of RWM’s programme to establish a GDF for the UK’s higher activity radioactive wastes. The new Working Group represents the community of Allerdale in West Cumbria and joins its neighbour Copeland which launched its own Working Group last month as described on this site.

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 the Interested Party (Genr8 North Ltd), an independent Chair (Jocelyn Manners-Armstrong), independent facilitator, Allerdale Borough Council and RWM. The Interested Party is the term given to the individual or organisation who initially asked RWM to consider whether a GDF could be located in the area.

The Initial Evaluation Report provided by RWM to the Interested Party is available for download from the Working Group’s website (here).

Copeland GDF Working Group publishes RWM's Initial Evaluation Reports

The Copeland GDF Working Group (the Working Group) has today provided more information on its membership and a swathe of background information to assist those in the community who want to know more and take part in the conversation about radioactive waste disposal.

We learn that the Working Group comprises:

• Mark Cullinan - independent Chair

• Nick Gardham - independent facilitator

• Community Engagement team - Gillian Johnstone and Clare Dobson

• Four Interested Parties

  • Copeland Borough Council

  • Irton Hall Ltd

  • Genr8 North Ltd

  • Local resident David Faulkner

• Radioactive Waste Management (RWM)

The Working Group website also has published the four Initial Evaluation Reports prepared for the four Interested Parties providing initial views from RWM on the potential for siting a GDF within the postulated areas of interest. In each case these evaluations are based on readily available information pertinent to the six siting factors identified previously by RWM and described in an earlier posting on this site. Geological settings both on land and off-shore have been addressed and in each case the Lake District National Park has been excluded from consideration.

The reports do not confirm that any of the areas of interest are suitable to host a GDF, but do attempt to present the initial understanding of whether any holds the potential to host a GDF, together with early identification of known constraints and uncertainties. The reports have been sufficiently encouraging to enable the Working Group to be established and to take the lead in progressing this initiative within the Copeland community.