Dr. John CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking with respect to reports of increased levels of technetium (TC-99) in seafood collected along the Cumbrian coast; and if he will make a statement. [9656]
§ Mr. ClappisonAll discharges from Sellafield to the Irish sea, including technetium-99, are regulated by means of authorisations granted by the Environment Agency.
British Nuclear Fuels has applied to the agency for a 25 per cent. reduction in the authorised discharge limits for technetium-99 from Sellafield, lowering it from 200 terabecquerels per year to 150 TBq per year. In addition, the company proposes to set as an internal working target an average discharge of 100 TBq per year.
The proposed reduction in the limit is contained in an application to the Environment Agency for a variation to the certificate of authorisation under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 to dispose of liquid waste from premises on the Sellafield site. Proposals by the Environment Agency to vary the authorisation will be the subject of public consultation.