Nuclear Waste (Hansard, 9 February 1989)

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in theOfficial Report all nuclear waste currently excluded from the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 under the exemption Order 1986.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
The Radioactive Substances (Substances of Low Activity) Exemption Order 1986 exempts all very low level solid wastes, less than 0.4 bq/g, and organic solvent wastes containing only carbon-14 or tritium at total concentrations of less than 0.4 bq/ml, from consideration under the Act. It also exempts gaseous wastes which have a half-life of less than 100 seconds.

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what remedial action has been taken at the low level radioactive waste disposal sites at(a) Drigg, (b) Dounreay, (c) Harwell and (d) Amersham to ensure the presence of chelating agents assisting the migration of radionuclides off site is minimised; and what has been the cost to date in 1989 pound sterling to implement this policy.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
The presence of chelating agents in wastes disposed of at the British Nuclear Fuels low-level radioactive waste disposal site at Drigg are excluded, as far as practicable, by means of the authorisation issued by the joint authorising Departments and the BNF "conditions of acceptance". No chelating agents have been disposed of at the Harwell and Amersham sites. Questions relating to Dounreay are matters for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether Her Majesty's pollution inspectorate and his Department's radioactive waste division seek to ensure that generators of nuclear waste separate aggregated waste into streams by half-lives of the radionuclide or transuranic.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
Radioactive waste is disposed of in accordance with authorisations issued under section 6 of the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 which stipulate disposal routes, activity limits and other conditions designed to ensure that any dose to the general public is below the maximum permissible as recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. In setting limits etc, Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution takes account of the half-lives of radionuclides in the wastes but does not require their separation.

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by volume, curie content and 769W location all known amounts of the radioactive waste products of (a) nickel 59, (b) nickel 63, (c) niobium 94, (d) cobalt 60, (e) americium 241, (f) caesium 137, (g) molybdenum 99, and (h) technetium 99.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
Except for molybdenum 99 which has a half-life too short to be of significance, and is therefore not recorded, information as requested on the other radionuclides listed is contained in the 1987 United Kingdom radioactive waste inventory a copy of which will be placed in the Library as soon as possible.

§ Mr. Salmond
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to be in receipt of Nirex's recommendations concerning suitable sites for the disposal of low and intermediate-level nuclear waste.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State expects to receive Nirex's proposals for a radioactive waste disposal facility shortly.

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in theOfficial Report tables showing (a) the proportion by volume of low level radioactive waste produced annually arising from nuclear power plants, reprocessing spent fuel, industrial radioisotope production and medical radioisotope use and (b) the proportion by curie content of the low level wastes produced in the categories set out under (a).

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
The figures are contained in the latest edition of the waste inventory, a copy of which is being placed in the House Library.

Dr. Thomas
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy towards the disposal of United Kingdom-generated toxic wastes in west and central African countries; and if he will make it his policy at the next council of European Economic Community Environment Ministers to raise the matter of the illegal export of European Economic Community origin toxic wastes to the countries of west and central Africa.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
No United Kingdom generated toxic waste has been sent to African countries for disposal, as far as the Government are aware. Proposals to do so would be subject to the Transfrontier Shipment of Hazardous Waste Regulations 1988.
The Government oppose the export of toxic waste to countries which do not possess suitable facilities for its safe disposal. The matter has been discussed several times at the Environment Council. The Government have no plans to raise the issue at the next meeting.

Dr. Thomas
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amounts, in terms of volumes and curie content, of radioactive waste from the Medical Research Council's radon source materials exist at Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire; and what are the present plans to dispose of this radioactive waste.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
Since the Radioactive Substances Act of 1960 has been in force there has been no authorisation to store radioactive waste from the Medical Research Council's radon source materials at Barton-le-Clay. I understand that radioactive materials were used there between 1939 and 1948. I am seeking confirmation from the council that no such materials remain.