§ Lord Campbell-Savoursasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action British Nuclear Fuels Limited is taking in respect of Pond B30 at Sellafield. [HL5200]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)Management of the B30 facility is an operational matter for BNFL, subject to regulation by 245WA the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (HSE's NII). BNFL is taking forward a range of work programmes at B30. These are aimed at improving the way the building itself is cared for as well as characterising the contents of the building and retrieving these and converting them into a more stable form. HSE is monitoring BNFL's progress in taking forward these work programmes at B30 aimed at reducing hazards associated with the plant.
§ Lord Campbell-Savoursasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their assessment of the safety of Pond B30 at Sellafield, particularly with respect to the natural environment. [HL5201]
§ Lord Sainsbury of TurvilleB30 is one example of the legacy plant described in Cm 5552Managing the Nuclear Legacy as presenting particular problems because of its age and operational history. The White Paper's proposed establishment of the liabilities management authority is aimed at ensuring that the challenge of legacy management can be met effectively for all plants whose decommissioning it will be contracting for.
As described in its reports to the Sellafield Local Community Liaison Committee (LCLC), HSE's NII is pressing BNFL to establish an early decommissioning programme. Following an inspection of B30 in June 2001, NII served an improvement notice requiring BNFL to prepare a decommissioning plan which is required by April 2003.
In addition, NII issued a legal instrument in August 2000 to require 90 per cent of the radioactive sludges accumulated in B30 to be recovered by 2010. Following discussions with NII and the Environment agency about airborne contamination arising from the open pond, BNFL is instigating direct monitoring and considering reasonably practicable measures to reduce airborne releases.
Further detailed information is included in NII's routine reports to the Sellafield LCLC which are available on HSE's website.