Mr. RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how he monitors the disposal of radioactive waste; what steps he takes to ensure that such waste is not used in household products; and if he will make a statement. [122335]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 16 May 2000]: The European Directive 96/29/Euratom lays down basic safety standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionising radiation. The Directive makes the disposal, recycling or reuse of radioactive substances subject to prior authorisation. It also permits member states to set levels of radioactivity at which materials for disposal, recycling and reuse may be released from this requirement for prior authorisation providing that strict radiological criteria are met. This concept is known as clearance, with clearance levels setting a threshold at or below which the levels of radioactivity are small and pose a negligible radiological risk irrespective of the fate of that material. The Radioactive Substances Act (RSA 93), which implements the relevant provisions of the Directive, is administered in England and Wales by the Environment Agency.
In support of these regulatory functions, the Environment Agency commissions independent monitoring of radioactive waste disposals and their impact on the environment. Details of the monitoring programme are published annually in a report entitled "Radioactivity in the Environment: A summary and radiological assessment of the Environment Agency's monitoring programmes". Copies of the latest report, for 1997, can be found in the Library.