Scrutiny report about radioactive waste disposal is published
A joint scrutiny report from the Environment Agency and Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) about radioactive waste disposal has been published.
The annual report describes the regulatory scrutiny of Nuclear Waste Services’ (NWS) ongoing programme of work and the advice the regulators provided during 2024 to 2025.
NWS is tasked with developing a geological disposal facility (GDF) for the UK’s most hazardous radioactive waste.
Geological disposal means permanently disposing of the most hazardous types of radioactive waste in a specially designed facility between 200 and 1,000 metres below ground or the sea bed.
Two community partnerships in Cumbria, Mid Copeland and South Copeland, are engaging in NWS’s programme to learn what hosting a GDF could mean for them.
Regulators have no role in where a GDF is sited but they are continuing to develop relationships with these community partnerships, and to provide information on how they would regulate the site.
A GDF will require an environmental permit and nuclear site licence. The Environment Agency and ONR are engaging with NWS early in the programme to make sure that any future facility will meet the high standards for environmental protection, safety, security and safeguards.
This includes during the design, development, operation and closure of the facility.
They will also make sure that NWS gives the right advice to waste producers, so that radioactive waste packaged at their sites is suitable for future disposal, can be safely stored pending disposal, and can be safely transported to a future disposal site.
Work gives insight into regulation
Jim Ratcliffe, Deputy Director for Nuclear Regulation at the Environment Agency, said:
The advice, guidance and scrutiny we have provided this past year has covered a wide range of topics.
This work demonstrates our high standards and requirements for a geological disposal facility and provides an insight into how we will ensure that these will be met in any future applications.
We look forward to engaging with both the community partnerships and attending events to help explain our regulatory role and the information in our annual report to communities in Cumbria.
Paul Dicks, ONR Director of Regulation for Sellafield, Decommissioning, Fuel and Waste directorate, said:
Throughout this year, we have maintained our commitment to providing regulatory guidance and advice to Nuclear Waste Services, ensuring our regulatory expectations remain clear and accessible. This ongoing dialogue will continue to be a priority for us.
Whilst ONR plays no part in the site selection process for a future Geological Disposal Facility, we remain committed to transparent engagement with communities considering hosting such a facility.
We will continue to provide information about our regulatory role and explain how we will ensure any future facility operates to the highest standards of safety and security.
Read the report: Geological disposal: scrutiny of Nuclear Waste Services’ work - annual reports
Background information
- The policy of the UK Government and devolved administrations of Wales and Northern Ireland is to manage the UK’s most hazardous radioactive waste through geological disposal. The process is initially community-led, adopts a partnership approach to working between local communities and the developer and requires that support within a host community is demonstrated before construction starts.
- Before formal regulation starts, the Environment Agency and ONR are providing advice to and scrutinising NWS’s work to implement geological disposal. We have established agreements with NWS. The work is carried out under a joint scrutiny programme and is summarised in annual reports.