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Waste Management

Nuclear waste comes from a number of different sources: the operation and decommissioning of nuclear power stations and fuel cycle plant; as well as from nuclear research; medical, industrial and other uses of radioisotopes, and is disposed of according to its form and the level of its radioactivity.

The Government aims to ensure that radioactive waste is managed safely and that the present generation meets its responsibilities to future generations.

Overall policy for radioactive waste management is the responsibility of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the devolved administrations. You can find out more about on the Defra: Radioactivity - Radioactive Waste webpage.

Other Departments such as the Department of Health (Food Standards Agency) and the Ministry of Defence also have a close interest, as does the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Environment Agency (EA).

BERR is primarily concerned with ensuring that the views of the nuclear and certain other industries are represented in the decision making process determining radioactive waste management policy.

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) was set up by virtue of the Energy Act 2004, and assumed responsibility for the decommissioning and clean up of the UK's civil nuclear legacy on 1 April 2005. It now has responsibility for nuclear sites previously operated by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and BNFL. Its remit is to provide national strategic control and direction to deliver accelerated clean up at its sites whilst maintaining high standards of safety.

The key changes flowing from the creation of the NDA and to the previous nuclear clean up regime are:

• the NDA are owners of the plant and facilities of BNFL (the Magnox nuclear power stations, Sellafield, the THORP/SNP plant, and Springfields plant); and took responsibility for managing clean up at the UKAEA's sites
• BNFL and UKAEA have been restructured so that they now operate their facilities, both for clean up and continuing commercial operations, under contract to the NDA rather than as principals
• the NDA has responsibility for expenditure of about £2.2 bn per annum. Half of this comes from UK Government funding and half from commercial income from the continued operation of Magnox nuclear power stations and reprocessing at Sellafield

Information on the NDA and its wide range of activities can be found on its website.