§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what direction he has given in relation to radioactive discharges from Sellafield in each year since 1979.
§ Mr. WaldegraveIt has been for some time the aim of authorising Departments to reduce the discharge of the most significant substances from Sellafield. BNFL is constructing a treatment plant, SIXEP, which will effect major reductions in caesium, which has already been significantly reduced by the interim use of zeolite skips. A revised authorisation is in preparation to cover both these reductions and reductions in plutonium and other alpha emitters. The following formal steps have been taken by my Department since 1979
July 1980: amendment of existing authorisation to permit use of new pipeline.November 1980: guidance in connection with the new authorisation on the methodology to be used for determining the effect of discharges on the public.September 1982: request for a review of options for reducing alpha discharges.February 1983: new condition added to existing authorisation requiring that discharges should be such that radiation exposures are as low as reasonably achievable—ALARA.March 1983: guidance on methodology revised in relation to alpha discharges.May 1983: draft of proposed new authorisation sent to BNFL.June 1983: BNFL notified of discharge levels for caesium which will be regarded as meeting the ALARA condition prior to the operation of SIXEP.December 1983: requirement placed on BNFL to undertake certain actions as a consequence of the investigation of the recent contamination incident.
§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether all parts of the discharge authorisation in relation to Sellafield have been met over each year with particular reference to route and monitoring.
§ Mr. WaldegraveAuthorisations are given for the disposal of particular radioactive wastes by a specified route, for example in liquid form to sea. Under the terms of these authorisations the authorising Departments prescribe the programme of monitoring required to assess the effect of discharges on the environment. I am satisfied that the authorisations for Sellafield have been complied with in previous years. So far as the recent incident is concerned, the Radiochemical inspectorate is making a formal investigation and the authorising Departments will consider whether there was any breach of the conditions of the authorisation for liquid discharges.