§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what evaluation(a) his Department and (b) consultants to his Department have made of the assessment by the US Department of Energy's glass advisory panel of the safety of using vitrified glass to encapsulate high-activity radioactive waste; and if he will make a statement on the current operational status of vitrification plants for nuclear waste immobilisation in the United Kingdom. [19912]
§ Mr. GummerNeither my Department nor consultants used by my Department are aware of an assessment by the US Department of Energy's glass advisory panel of 285W the safety of using vitrified glass to encapsulate high-level radioactive waste. The status of vitrification plants are matters for the operators subject to meeting regulatory requirements. But I understand that the one vitrification plant in the UK is operated using two processing lines at the BNFL, Sellafield site in Cumbria. This plant was commissioned in February 1991 and has a consent to operate in full compliance with all UK regulations. BNFL is building a third operating line at Sellafield which is expected to be commissioned in the year 2000.