Policy paper

Environment Agency's engagement plan for geological disposal

Updated 23 February 2024

Applies to England

Nuclear Waste Services has started a process to find a site for a geological disposal facility (GDF) for radioactive waste in the UK.

The Environment Agency in England, or Natural Resources Wales in Wales, and the Office for Nuclear Regulation will regulate any geological disposal facility for radioactive waste.

This plan sets out how the Environment Agency is engaging with the public and stakeholders in the early stages of the process, including working groups and community partnerships in Cumbria and Lincolnshire.

1. Feedback on our approach

If you have any comments about our approach to engaging on the way we regulate geological disposal, please email:

nuclear@environment-agency.gov.uk

2. Who may be interested in our engagement

Members of the public and other stakeholders who:

• want to give the Environment Agency information that’s relevant to permitting and regulation of a geological disposal facility and higher activity radioactive waste
• live or work in an area which has a working group or community partnership
• represent a community they will share this information with
• are interested in how a geological disposal facility will be regulated

3. Approach to engaging

We will be open and transparent. We will share information with stakeholders to build their understanding and knowledge of:

• how we will regulate a geological disposal facility
• our decision making process
• the roles and responsibilities of the regulators

We will encourage and enable stakeholder input. It’s important to us that we involve people in decisions that affect their community. We want to understand peoples’ comments and views about geological disposal. Where relevant, we can use these comments to help inform our work.

While it will always remain the responsibility of the regulators to make decisions about permitting a GDF, we want our decisions to be better informed through good engagement.

4. Engagement aims

Our aim is to strengthen trust and confidence in us as regulators and to make sure:

• our stakeholders understand our role in nuclear regulation and specifically geological disposal – what we do and what we do not do
• we understand stakeholder views so that we can use them to inform our work
• we reach a wide range of stakeholders at appropriate times
• our stakeholders understand how they can provide comments and views

5. Working in partnership objectives

We want to make sure stakeholders:

• understand each regulator’s role, specifically around regulation of geological disposal – what we do and what we do not do
• know more about how environmental permitting fits into the bigger picture of geological disposal
• understand how we assess and determine environmental permits for site investigation and disposal of radioactive waste to a geological disposal facility
• understand how they can provide their views, what they can and cannot comment on and how we’ll use their input to inform our work
• have many opportunities to ask questions about our role and give us their views
• understand how we will make decisions on permitting geological disposal

6. Our stakeholders

We are engaging with:

• members of the public living in or near to an area which has a working group or community partnership
• Mid Copeland Community Partnership (formed on 16 November 2021)
• South Copeland Community Partnership (formed on 14 December 2021)
• Theddlethorpe Community Partnership (formed on 30 June 2022)
• elected representatives and government agencies, including MPs
• local and parish councils, especially those in or near to an area which has a working group or community partnership and other representative bodies in the area
• non-government organisations (NGOs) and environmental groups
• academics
• the nuclear industry, including developers and operators
• Nuclear Waste Services
• the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM)

7. Engaging locally from 2020

We are talking to Mid Copeland Community Partnership, South Copeland Community Partnership, Theddlethorpe Community Partnership and local stakeholders about:

• their communities and the local environment
• events and meetings we can attend to talk about our regulating geological disposal
• how they prefer to engage with us and receive information from us

The Environment Agency will support working groups and community partnerships if requested.

We could:

• attend meetings and events organised by working groups and community partnerships at their invitation
• provide information to working groups, community partnerships and the wider community on our regulatory role and responsibilities to aid discussions about regulating geological disposal
• provide advice and comment on matters concerning environmental protection, relevant to our regulatory role and responsibilities

We will not be a formal member of a working group or community partnership, nor be involved in decision-making.

8. How we are engaging and communicating

We are:

• publishing information on GOV.UK
• sharing information through e-bulletins
• providing information such as leaflets or infographics at local events or to the local community
• attending and providing information at working groups and community forums on our regulatory role in geological disposal, and matters related to environmental protection (if requested)
• organising meetings with stakeholders on topics of interest
• attending, listening and answering questions about our role at meetings with local stakeholders
• briefing national and local MPs
• participating in national events, conferences and exhibitions to talk about our role in geological disposal
• holding public exhibitions, unless Environment Agency guidance prevents this
• inviting national stakeholders to workshops or webinars
• working with journalists to share information in local and national media
• using our social media accounts to raise awareness
• sharing information through community channels and local advocates
• sharing information through Nuclear Waste Services channels where appropriate, and those organised by community partnerships and working groups
• offering telephone and video questions and answer sessions

In the future we will carry out online public consultation for environmental permits on Citizen Space. You can read when and how we consult on environmental permits.

9. How to get involved

You can watch our animation and ask us any questions you have about regulating geological disposal.

Email: nuclear@environment-agency.gov.uk

Animation: Regulating the geological disposal of radioactive waste.

10. Responding to stakeholders

We will:

• consider responses we receive and any information arising from future consultations
• use these responses to inform our decisions where relevant
• update stakeholders about geological disposal consultations and our final decisions through our websites, e-bulletins, social media and news stories, and at events
• explain how stakeholder input has helped inform our decisions

11. Keep in touch

You can sign up to our e-bulletin. Email nuclear@environment-agency.gov.uk.