§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on recent EU legislation allowing member states to recycle low-level radioactive waste into consumer products. [101694]
§ Mr. MullinThe EURATOM Basic Safety Standards Directive Euratom 96–29 imposes a high degree of radiological protection revising earlier Directives setting486W basic safety standards for the protection of workers and members of the public against the dangers of ionising radiation. Article five of the Directive makes the disposal, recycling or re-use of radioactive substances subject to authorisation by the regulators.
With most materials containing some radioactivity it is important to set thresholds in regulations below which materials will be treated as outside the framework of control. The Directive therefore permits member states to set levels of radioactivity below which materials can be disposed of, recycled and re-used without needing prior authorisation. This concept is known as clearance, with clearance levels setting a threshold at or below which the levels of radioactivity are small and pose negligible radiological risk, irrespective of the volume and fate of that material. The Government have recently issued a consultation document on implementation of the Directive including the issue of clearance levels. Responses to this are still being considered and Government proposals will be made in due course.
In the UK, the sale or disposal of radioactively contaminated material is closely regulated by the Environment Agency (in England and Wales), the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (in Scotland), and Department of Environment (NI) in Northern Ireland under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 to ensure that the levels of radioactivity involved pose insignificant risk to human health or the environment.
§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received concerning the recycling of low-level radioactive waste into consumer products. [101695]
§ Mr. MullinIn response to a leaflet run by the Low Level Radiation Campaign (LLRC) about concerns of contaminated materials being reused and recycled into consumer goods, the Department has received 28 letters, 14 of which have been replied to by Ministers and 14 by officials. In addition, in response to a recent consultation exercise on implementation of the revised Basic Safety Standards Directive Euratom 96/29, further representations in support of the LLRC were received.
My right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment has met with representatives of the LLRC when the matter of recycling low-level radioactive waste in consumer products was discussed.