§ Mr. Johnasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what precautions are taken upon the dumping of radioactive wastes to prevent danger to health and pollution; and what criteria are adopted in choosing the sites.
§ Mr. Eldon GriffithsThe general policy, precautions and criteria relating to the disposal of radioactive waste are set out in a White Paper (Cmnd. 884) presented to Parliament in 1959 and given effect in the Radioactive Substances Act 1960.
Low activity waste as defined in paragraph 128 of the White Paper is generally disposed of, after consultation with the local authority, to a public or privately owned tip. Sites are inspected to ensure that no health or environmental hazard arises.
Solid radioactive wastes such as are described in paragraph 130 of the White Paper are disposed of by the National Disposal Service to a burial site operated by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. at Drigg, West Cumberland. This site is regularly inspected by the Department's radio-chemical inspector to ensure that there are no adverse effects.