HC Deb 28 February 1990 vol 168 cc192-3W
Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many applications to dispose of radioactive waste have been refused on the ground that the volumes in question exceeded the quota set for applications by British Nuclear Fuels Limited; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Trippier

No application received by this Department has been refused on these grounds.

Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the locations of those sites where non-nuclear radioactive waste is disposed of, stating the percentage of the total non-nuclear radioactive waste generated which is disposed of at each site.

Mr. Trippier

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 February 1990 to my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington, South (Mr. Butler) at column179.

Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the volume of non-nuclear radioactive waste held in storage in(a) 1984, (b) 1985, (c) 1986, (d) 1987, (e) 1988 and (f) 1989; what projections exist for levels over the next 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Trippier

The information is not available in the form requested. Low-level radioactive waste arising from outside the nuclear industry is not normally stored, but is disposed of either locally or to the BNFL-operated disposal facility at Drigg (sometimes via the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) establishment at Harwell) under the terms of authorisations issued by HMIP under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960. Where appropriate, such authorisations may permit waste to be accumulated on site either to allow the radioactivity to decay before disposal or for other operational reasons. Such accumulations and disposals are subject to strict conditions and activity limits and, although information on volumes of waste etc. is not recorded centrally, operators are required to maintain proper and detailed records. These records, as well as the premises or sites concerned, are subject to scrutiny by HMIP inspectors. Where a suitable disposal route is not available, the radioactive waste may be stored at the UKAEA establishment at Harwell.

Apart from these local disposals and accumulations, the latest available information on stocks and future arisings of raw radioactive waste from minor waste producers is contained in the 1987 "United Kingdom Radioactive Waste Inventory," a copy of which is available in the Library.

Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to ensure public consultation in the site selection process for a single national repository for radioactive waste.

Mr. Trippier

UK Nirex Ltd's consultation document "The Way Forward" invited comments on Nirex's proposals for a deep repository for low and intermediate-level radioactive waste. Nirex took account of these comments before recommending that site investigations should be made at Sellafield and Dounreay. The Government have made it clear that a public inquiry will be held into Nirex's proposals for a substantive development.

Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what volume of non-nuclear radioactive waste was disposed of at landfill sites under the Radioactive Substances (Phosphatic Substances, Rare Earths, etc.) Exemption Order 1962 for each of the last five years; what projections exist for volumes to be disposed in this manner over the next 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Trippier

The terms of the exemption order do not require such information to be kept either by the disposer or this Department.

Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the volume of non-nuclear radioactive waste accepted at Drigg for each of the last five years; and what percentage came from(a) hospitals, (b) research and development operations, (c) land decontamination and (d) other sources; what are the expected global levels in volume for the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Trippier

Information on the volumes of wastes disposed of at the Drigg disposal site can be found in BNFL's annual reports entitled "Radioactive Discharges and Monitoring of the Environment", copies of which are in the Library of the House. A more detailed breakdown of the wastes originating from non-nuclear industries is not available.

Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the volume of non-nuclear radioactive waste disposed of otherwise than at Drigg for each of the last five years; and what percentage came from(a) hospitals, (b) research and development operations, (c) land decontamination and (d) other sources; what are the expected global levels in volume for the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Trippier

This Department does not maintain a central record of the volumes of low-level radioactive waste disposed of through local disposal routes or of specific disposal locations. However, a condition of authorisation requires waste producers to keep proper and detailed records relating to their disposals. These records, as well as the premises or sites concerned, are subject to scrutiny by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution inspectors and in cases where a disposal requires special precautions to be taken by a local or public authority, both Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution and local waste disposal authorities are notified by the operator of the nature and destination of individual consignments of radioactive waste due for disposal.

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