§ 27. Mr. KennedyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment under what circumstances disposal of radioactive material is permitted in local authority landfill sites.
§ Mr. TrippierRadioactive waste may be disposed of only if an authorisation has been issued under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. Authorisations are issued after careful assessment of the environmental impact of the proposed disposal. They impose strict conditions and activity limits which are designed to ensure that any dose of radiation to the general public is below the maximum permissible as recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection.
Detailed information about disposal routes and practices for radioactive wastes, including disposals at local authority landfill sites, is contained in part II of the HMSO publication entitled "Radioactive Substances Act 1960—A guide to the administration of the Act", a copy of which is in the Library.
§ 77. Mr. LivseyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he plans to restrict further the discharge of radioactive liquids to the public sewerage system.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryDischarges of radioactivity to the public sewerage system are already closely regulated under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 (RSA60) by authorisations issued by Her Majety's inspectorate of pollution. These authorisations impose strict conditions and activity limits, set at levels which ensure proper protection from such disposals for members of the public, sewerage workers and the environment. I am satisfied that RSA60 provides a fully satisfactory regime for regulating radioactive waste disposals and I have no plans for further changes other than those proposed in part V of the Environmental Protection Bill currently before Parliament.