Guidance

Radioactive substances legislation: scope and exemptions

Guidance on interpreting the legislation on radioactive substances in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

• From: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Welsh Government, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Northern Ireland) and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
• Published: 14 September 2011
• Last updated: 9 May 2024
  Show all updates

  1. 9 May 2024

     Guidance updated to clarify the rationale behind the definition of a relevant liquid and to reflect the creation of DESNZ.

  2. 2 August 2018

     Guidance updated to align with revisions to the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 and the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 which implement relevant aspects of European Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom.

  3. 14 September 2011

     First published.

Applies to England, Northern Ireland and Wales

• Publication for Scotland

Documents

Scope of and exemptions from the radioactive substances legislation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

PDF, 1.51 MB, 160 pages

Scope of and exemptions from the radioactive substances legislation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

HTML

Details

The legislative means by which radioactive substances are regulated in the UK differ according to devolved administration; however, the effects of the legislation are consistent.

This guidance, aimed at environmental regulators and users, sets out:

• the rationale underpinning the exemptions regime for England, Northern Ireland and Wales
• how government intends the regime to be interpreted and implemented
• the means by which the objectives of the exemptions regime should be delivered

Further information

• Environmental permits