§ Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what monitoring takes place of the discharge of radioactive waste into the River Severn from nearby nuclear power stations; and if he will arrange through the Central Electricity Generating Board for the level of emission to be published.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe CEGB power stations at Berkeley, Oldbury and Hinckley Point discharge liquid radioactive waste into the River Severn or its estuary. Monitoring of the discharges is carried out by the CEGB in accordance with the discharge authorisations granted under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 by the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Duplicate samples supplied to the radiochemical inspectorate of my Department are sent for independent analysis to ensure that the operators' analyses are being performed correctly.
Levels of emissions from all nuclear power stations in England are published regularly by the Central Electricity Generating Board and in the additional tables of the "Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics" published by my Department.