Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T12:33:03.242Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Research and development for geological disposal of higher activity wastes: the role and expectations of the Environment Agency

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

C. R. Cailes ,
I. Barraclough ,
R. E. Smith  and
G. Thomson
C. R. Cailes*
Affiliation:
Environment Agency, Richard Fairclough House, Warrington WA4 1HT, UK
I. Barraclough
Affiliation:
Environment Agency, Richard Fairclough House, Warrington WA4 1HT, UK
R. E. Smith
Affiliation:
Environment Agency, Richard Fairclough House, Warrington WA4 1HT, UK
G. Thomson
Affiliation:
Environment Agency, Richard Fairclough House, Warrington WA4 1HT, UK
*
*E-mail: claire.cailes@environment-agency.gov.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The Environment Agency is the environmental regulator for the nuclear industry in England and Wales. We aim to ensure that any future Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) will meet our standards for protecting people and the environment during development, operation and following closure. We shall only grant an environmental permit for such a facility if the GDF developer submits an Environmental Safety Case (ESC) to the Environment Agency demonstrating that the proposed GDF will meet our standards. The ESC should be based on sound science and supported by appropriate research and development. The Environment Agency undertakes its own research programme to inform its regulatory decisions.

Keywords

geological disposalEnvironmental Safety Casejoint regulationstaged regulation
Type
Research Article
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 75 , Issue 4 , August 2011 , pp. 2431 - 2437
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bond, A., Egan, M.J., Metcalfe, M.J., Robinson, P. and Towler, G. (2010) Understanding controls on the performance of engineered barrier systems in repositories for high-level radioactive waste and spent fuel. Report SC060055. Environment Agency, Bristol, UK, 202 pp.Google Scholar
Brown, J.E., Alfonso, B., Avila, R., Beresford, N.A., Copplestone, D., Prohl, G. and Ulanovsky, A. (2008) The ERICA tool. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 99, 1371–1383.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Copplestone, D., Bielby, S., Jones, S.R., Patton, D., Daniel, P., and Gize, I. (2001) Impact of Ionising Radiation on Wildlife. Report R&D 128, Environment Agency, Bristol, UK, 222 pp.Google Scholar
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs [Defra], Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform [BERR] and the Devolved Administrations for Wales and Northern Ireland (2008) Managing radioactive waste safely: a framework for implementing geological disposal. Defra, London, UK, 100 pp.Google Scholar
Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions [DETR] (2000) Waste strategy 2000 for England and Wales part 1. DETR, London, UK, 55 pp.Google Scholar
Environment Agency (2005) Reworking intermediate level radioactive waste. Report SC040047, Environment Agency, Bristol, UK, 92 pp.Google Scholar
Environment Agency (2008a) Gas generation and migration from a deep geological repository for radioactive waste — a review of Nirex/NDA 's work. Environment Agency, Bristol, UK, 123 pp.Google Scholar
Environment Agency (2008b) The longevity of intermediate-level radioactive waste packages for geological disposal: a review. Environment Agency, Bristol, UK, 35 pp.Google Scholar
Environment Agency (2010a) Environment Agency scrutiny of RWMD's work relating to the geological disposal facility — annual review 2008/9. Environment Agency, Bristol, UK, 30 pp.Google Scholar
Environment Agency (2010b) Radioactive Substances Regulation — Environmental Principles. Environment Agency, Bristol, UK, 80 pp.Google Scholar
Environment Agency and Northern Ireland Environment Agency (2009) Geological disposal facilities on land for solid radioactive wastes: guidance on requirements for authorisation. Environment Agency, Bristol, UK, 148 pp.Google Scholar
Environment Agency (2011) Geophysical surveying techniques to characterise a site for a deep geological disposal facility: A review of recent developments and NDA 's proposals. Environment Agency, Bristol, UK, 75 pp.Google Scholar
Metcalfe, R. and Watson, S.P. (2009) Technical issues associated with deep repositories for radioactive waste in different geological environments. Report SC060054/SR1. Environment Agency, Bristol, UK, 215 pp.Google Scholar
Powell, J.H., Waters, C.N., Millward, D. and Robins, N.S. (2010) Managing radioactive waste safely: initial geological unsuitability screening of West Cumbria. Research Report CR/10/072, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, UK, 73 pp.Google Scholar