Notice

CM0 7HP, Magnox Limited: consultation on draft decisions and environmental permits

Published 20 October 2016

This notice was withdrawn on 18 January 2017

The consultation period for this application has ended. You can view current licences on the Public Registers.

Applies to England

Details of the consultation

The Environment Agency has received applications to vary 3 environmental permits under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 from Magnox Limited and is consulting on its draft decisions and environmental permits.

Application numbers

Water Discharge Activity EPR/DP3127XB/V002
Water Discharge Activity PR2TSE10760/V003
Radioactive Substances Activity EPR/ZP3493SQ/V005

Regulated facility location

Bradwell Site
Magnox Limited
Bradwell-on-Sea
Southminster
Essex
CM0 7HP

Summary of the draft permits

Draft permit EPR/DP3127XB is the Agency’s response to the applicant’s request to vary their existing permit to (i) extend the time limit for the ‘activity’ of discharging treated effluent from the FED waste disposal operation into the Blackwater Estuary from 12 months for a further 24 months, and (ii) to use a newly constructed outlet (at the same location) for the discharge when the existing one becomes blocked with silt. Discharges of treated effluent through the existing outlet are made in a ‘carrier flow’ of large volumes of abstracted sea-water. Any future discharges made through the new outlet would be actively pumped which will remove the need for carrier flows.

Draft Permit PR2TS/E10760 is to vary the applicant’s existing permit which currently allows the discharge of a mixture of effluents (including types of site drainage and secondary treated sewage effluent) in a carrier flow of large volumes of abstracted sea-water to the Blackwater Estuary. The variation is to allow the effluents to be separated and made through two replacement pipes (at the same location) should the existing outlet become blocked with silt. Discharges through the new outlets will be actively pumped which will remove the need for the carrier flows of abstracted seawater to be added prior to discharge.

Draft permit EPR/ZP3493SQ is our response to the application from Magnox to vary the permit to allow radioactive aqueous waste discharges to be made through two replacement discharge pipelines that have been constructed within the existing outfall structure. When the variation is issued, Magnox will be able to use the new discharge pipelines should the existing outlet become blocked up with silt. The application also requests a number of changes to the gaseous radioactive waste discharge outlets in the permit.

How to view the draft decisions and environmental permits

The draft decision documents, draft permits and supporting documents are available to view and download from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cm0-7hp-magnox-limited-consultation-on-draft-decisions-and-environmental-permits-advertisement.

This information is also held in a register at the following location:

The Environment Agency
Public Register
Iceni House
Cobham Road
Ipswich
IP3 9JD

You can look at our register 9.30am-4.30pm, Monday to Friday. Please phone the National Customer Contact Centre on 03708 506 506 to arrange an appointment.

How to comment on the application

Email: psc-waterquality@environment-agency.gov.uk

Or write to:

Environment Agency
Permitting and Support Centre
WQ Team
Quadrant 2
99 Parkway Avenue
Sheffield
S9 4WF

Normally we must put any responses we receive on the public register. Please tell us if you don’t want your response to be public.

Please provide comments by 15 December 2016.