AWE Aldermaston (Hansard, 22 June 1999)

§ Mr. Corbyn
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on how AWE Aldermaston intend to treat and dispose of the plutonium-contaminated rainwater that has accumulated on-site following heavy rainfall on 19 May. [87709]

§ Mr. Spellar
This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Sir Robert Walmsley to Mr. Jeremy Corbyn, dated 22 June 1999I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the treatment of contaminated rainwater at AWE Aldermaston. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. During a storm on 19 May, an inch of rain fell within an hour taking up about one third of the capacity of the North Ponds Water Management System. It is standard procedure for the contents of full tanks to be analysed before discharge and on this occasion, low levels of plutonium were detected in two of them. The silt suspended in the water has now had time to settle and it has become apparent that while the silt does contain low, but detectable, levels of plutonium, the water itself is not contaminated. AWE intend to decant the water from the two tanks and then retest it. Once they are satisfied that the water is clean, it will be discharged. The silt remaining at the bottom of the tanks will be collected and dealt with by proven methods. This will be done with the approval of the Environment Agency. This incident has proved that the North Ponds system works as intended, in allowing flood water to be collected on site, then tested and, where appropriate, treated before discharge.

§ Mr. Corbyn
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many gloveboxes are in storage at AWE Aldermaston awaiting treatment and disposal. [87711]

§ Mr. Spellar
This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Sir Robert Walmsley to Mr. Jeremy Corbyn, dated 22 June 1999I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about storage of gloveboxes at AWE Aldermaston. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. There are at present forty two gloveboxes stored at AWE Aldermaston awaiting treatment and disposal.
329W

§ Mr. Corbyn
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the plant for conditioning the plutonium-bearing sludges currently stored in stainless steel tanks at AWE Aldermaston commenced operations. [87708]

§ Mr. Spellar
This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Sir Robert Walmsley to Mr. Jeremy Corbyn, dated 22 June 1999I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence which asked about operation of plant for the conditioning of plutonium-bearing sludges at AWE Aldermaston. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. Options for dealing with the plutonium-bearing sludges are still being evaluated by AWE. In the meantime, the sludges remain safely in the tanks, whose integrity is regularly monitored. The tanks are made of rubber lined mild steel rather than stainless steel.

§ Mr. Corbyn
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much storage space for intermediate and low-level nuclear waste awaiting a final repository will be left at AWE Aldermaston once the unsuitable waste stores have been emptied and the plutonium-bearing sludge has been conditioned and stored. [87712]

§ Mr. Spellar
This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Sir Robert Walmsley to Mr. Jeremy Corbyn, dated 22 June 1999I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about storage space for intermediate and low-level nuclear waste at AWE Aldermaston. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. There are currently nine ILW stores at AWE and all are fit for purpose. However, two of the stores were converted from laboratories and these will be emptied and their contents transferred to modern facilities in a programme scheduled to start in September. A contract has recently been placed for a new store which is expected to be brought into service in 2001. This will enable the contents of an ageing store to be emptied and the building decommissioned. Seven stores will remain in use and will provide sufficient capacity for holdings of ILW, and such Low Level as cannot be disposed of to the BNFL site at Drigg, for the period up to 2005/2006.