The 12th International Conference on Environmental ... - Events

Session 1-4 Abstracts
SESSION 1 - OPENING SESSION
ABSTRACTS NOT REQUIRED
SESSION 2A - PANEL: ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP WORLDWIDE -
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
ABSTRACTS NOT REQUIRED
SESSION 2B - PANEL: WILL THE LACK OF GEOLOGICAL REPOSITORIES
SLOW THE NUCLEAR RENAISSANCE
ABSTRACTS NOT REQUIRED
SESSION 3 - HOT TOPICS AND EMERGING ISSUES IN D&D
ABSTRACTS NOT REQUIRED
SESSION 4 - NATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR L/ILW
1) UK STRATEGY FOR NUCLEAR INDUSTRY LLW – 16393
Matthew Clark, Joanne Fisher, NDA (UK)
In March 2007 the UK Government and devolved administrations (for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, from here on
referred to as ‘Government’) published their policy for the management of solid low level waste (‘the Policy’). <strong>The</strong> Policy sets out
a number of core principles for the management of low level waste (LLW) and charges the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
with developing a UK-wide strategy in the case of LLW from nuclear sites. <strong>The</strong> UK Nuclear Industry LLW Strategy has been developed
within the framework of the principles set out in the policy.
A key factor in the development of this strategy has been the strategic partnership the NDA shares with the Low Level Waste
Repository near Drigg (LLWR), who now have a role in developing strategy as well as delivering an optimised waste management
service at the LLWR.
<strong>The</strong> strategy aims to support continued hazard reduction and decommissioning by ensuring uninterrupted capability and
capacity for the management and disposal of LLW in the UK. <strong>The</strong> continued availability of a disposal route for LLW is considered
vital by both the nuclear industry and non-nuclear industry low level waste producers. Given that the UK will generate significantly
more low level waste (~ 3.1 million m3) than there is capacity at the LLWR (~0.75 million m3), developing alternative
effective ways to manage LLW is critical.
<strong>The</strong> waste management hierarchy is central to the strategy, which includes strategic goals at all levels of the hierarchy to
improve its application across the industry.
2) THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL LOW LEVEL WASTE REPOSITORY OPERATOR IN DELIVERING NEW
SOLUTIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF LOW LEVEL WASTES IN THE UK - 16217
Martin Walkingshaw, LLW Repository Ltd (UK)
<strong>The</strong> UK National Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR) is located near to the village of Drigg in West Cumbria. It is the principal
site for disposal of solid Low Level Radioactive Waste (LLW) in the United Kingdom.
This paper describes the program of work currently being undertaken by the sites operators, (LLW Repository Ltd and its newly
appointed Parent Body Organisation), to extend the life of the LLWR and reduce the overall cost of LLW management to the UK
taxpayer.
<strong>The</strong> current focus of this program is to prevent disposal capacity being taken up at LLWR by waste types which lend themselves
to alternative treatment and/or disposition routes.
<strong>The</strong> chosen approach enables consignors to segregate LLW at source into formats which allow further treatment for volume
reduction or, (for wastes with lower levels of activity), consignment in the future to alternative disposal facilities.
Segregated waste services are incorporated into LLW Disposal commercial agreements between the LLWR operator and waste
consignors.This paper outlines the forward strategy for managing the current and future Low Level Waste (LLW) arisings from the
Sellafield site, including Windscale.
<strong>The</strong> document addresses Sellafield Integrated Waste Strategy (IWS) requirements and reflects changes to the national Low
Level Waste (LLW) policy. <strong>The</strong> underlying driver is that the current estimates of the total volumes of LLW arisings from the Sellafield
site significantly exceed the disposal capacity of the Low Level Waste Repository near Drigg.
3) SELLAFIELD SITE LOW LEVEL WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY - 16234
Laurence Cook, David Loudon, Charles Mason, Sellafield Limited, (UK)
<strong>The</strong> strategy encompasses all current and future low level wastes, including high volume low activity wastes, produced at the
Sellafield site. It derives from detailed consideration of existing management techniques that could be implemented to efficiently
avoid the generation of wastes and to efficiently manage the range of operational and decommissioning wastes that are generated.
It also incorporates the results of a recent stakeholder engagement exercise on Best Practicable Environmental Option Studies for
low level wastes arising on the Sellafield site.
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