Dr. John CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution's assessment of the long-term safety of the proposed Nirex repository in Cumbria.
§ Mr. GummerHer Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has received no proposal from Nirex under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 for a repository in Cumbria and consequently cannot comment on the long-term safety of any such facility.
Dr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is his assessment of the likelihood of ground water contamination from any future nuclear waste repository in Cumbria; [39737]
(2) what is his assessment of the likelihood of any radioactive substances from any nuclear waste repository in Cumbria reaching the surface by a colloidal transport process. [39738]
§ Mr. GummerIt will be for Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution or, after 1 April 1996 the Environment Agency, to assess the case supporting any future application, under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, for a nuclear waste repository in Cumbria. It would be for the developer to address in such a case any potential groundwater contamination and whether colloids or any other transport processes significantly influenced the risk of radioactive substances reaching the surface.
Dr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the cost of his Department of any investigations that have either been carried out by or commissioned by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution into the proposed Nirex repository site in Cumbria. [39736]
§ Mr. GummerNo costs were incurred by the Department for the studies that Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution commissioned relating to Nirex's programme. Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution recovered from Nirex the costs of the work undertaken.
Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has received no proposal from Nirex under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, for a repository in Cumbria and consequently has not commissioned or carried out investigations relating to such a proposal.
Dr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the investigations that have been(a) commissioned and (b) carried out by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution into the proposed Nirex repository site in Cumbria. [39735]
§ Mr. GummerHer Majesty's inspectorate of pollution let two contracts for studies relating to Nirex's programme; a contract with W. S. Atkins for a "Scientific review and assessment of Nirex submissions" and a contract with Intera Information Technologies/R. M. Consultants for a "Post closure radiological safety assessment of Nirex proposals". Reports arising from the 55W latter contract will be placed in the House Library. Reports from the W. S. Atkins contract are still in preparation and a set will be placed in the Library when they are completed.
These studies by HMIP were undertaken to test and develop the Inspectorate's assessment capabilities. The studies were not designed to inform HMIP on the suitability of the site in Cumbria for possible future development of a repository.
HMIP has received no proposal from Nirex, under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, for a repository in Cumbria and consequently has not commissioned or carried out investigations relating to such a proposal.