§ Mr. CryerTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent developments have taken place at the Atomic Energy Development Establishment at Dounreay to reduce the levels of radioactive waste discharged to the sea.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonSignificant process modifications were carried out during the period 1978–83, including the commissioning of an additional plant to reduce the activity in the aqueous discharges from nuclear fuel reprocessing. Since that time further improvements have been achieved by operational means.
Because reprocessing requirements differ from year to year and the plants are not run continuously, discharges will vary from one period to another. They have consistently been well below the authorised limits. A revised liquid waste authorisation with reduced limits was issued in 1989.