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Introduction

1. Radioactive substances are used in ways that are beneficial to man, including the generation of electricity, medical diagnosis and therapy, scientific research and specialized industrial applications. However, many of these activities generate radioactive wastes, which need to be controlled appropriately. The wastes may occur as gases, liquids or solids. Airborne and liquid waste may be permitted to be discharged into the environment, after treatment if necessary, while solids are disposed of to appropriate sites or stored until a suitable disposal route becomes available.

2. Under Section13 of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 (RSA 93), the accumulation or disposal of radioactive waste requires authorization. The regulation of radioactive waste, under RSA 93, in England is the responsibility of the Environment Agency. The system of "discharge authorizations" is used to control the nature and quantities of radioactive waste that may be discharged into the environment from any site.

Statutory Guidance

3. Section 4 of the Environment Act 1995 requires Ministers (that is, in the case of England, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Secretary of State for Health) periodically to give the Environment Agency guidance on objectives which they consider it appropriate for the Agency to pursue. Separate, but complementary, arrangements apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

4. This consultation paper seeks comment on draft Guidance on the granting of authorizations to discharge liquid and gaseous radioactive materials into the environment. It is in two parts. Part I comprises the formal statutory guidance to the Environment Agency. Part II is an explanatory document that accompanies the statutory guidance, but sets out in a more readily accessible form the background to the formal guidance and the principles that underpin it. The draft Guidance should be read in conjunction with the UK Strategy for Radioactive Discharges 2001 – 2020, which was published in June of this year.

5. Comments are invited on both Parts I and II of the draft Guidance. Following a full consideration of comments received, the Guidance, amended as appropriate and still in draft, will be laid before both Houses of Parliament for 40 sitting days before it is issued to the Environment Agency. A Regulatory Impact Assessment will be drawn up following public consultation, to reflect any changes necessary, in advance of the draft Guidance being laid before Parliament. In the meantime, as part of the consultation, we would welcome any comments on costs and benefits that respondents may wish to offer.

6. Comments on the draft Guidance, to arrive no later than 31 January 2001, should be sent by letter fax or e-mail to:

Statutory Guidance Consultation
DETR
4/E7 Ashdown House
123 Victoria Street
London
SW1E 6DE

Fax: 020 7944 6289
E-mail: statutory.guidance@defra.gsi.gov.uk

7. Each response will be acknowledged, but it will not be possible to reply individually to the points raised. The Department may wish to publish responses to the consultation paper, or deposit them in the Libraries of the Houses of Parliament or the Department's own library, unless specifically requested to treat a response as confidential. Confidential responses may nevertheless be included in any statistical summary of numbers received and views expressed.

Contents

PART I
Statutory Guidance Under Section 4 of the Environment Act 1995 with Respect to the Regulation of Radioactive Discharges into the Environment from Nuclear Licensed Sites

Statutory Guidance
Introduction
Aim of the Secretary of State's Guidance
The Environment Agency's Statutory Powers
Statutory Guidance Given Pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Environment Act 1995 with Respect to Objectives of the Agency
General Principles
Specific Principles

Waste Minimization
Best Practicable Environmental Option
"Concentrate and Contain" vs "Dilute and Disperse"

Radiological Impact of Discharges

To members of the public

The critical group
Dose limit
Dose constraint
Collective dose
Community Food Intervention Levels (CFILs)

To other species

Environmental Protection

Best Practicable Means
Progressive reduction of discharges
UK Strategy for Radioactive Discharges 2001 – 2020
Sociological and economic effects
Protection Beyond National Borders

Health and Safety

Exposure of workers
Risks of accidents

Limits and conditions in discharge authorizations

Site and plant limits
Limits on individual radionuclides
Headroom
Notification levels
Capping discharge limits at design levels

Other conditions that should be applied to discharge authorizations

Monitoring
Research and development
Record keeping

PART II
Explanatory Document Accompanying the Statutory Guidance

Scope of the document
Introduction
Aim of the Secretary of State's Guidance
Guidance for the Environment Agency
General principles
Specific principles

Waste minimization
Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO)
"Concentrate and Contain" vs "Dilute and Disperse"

Radiological Impact of Discharges

To members of the public

The critical group
Dose limit
Dose constraint
Collective dose

To other species

Environmental Protection

Best Practicable Means (BPM)
Progressive reduction of discharges
UK Strategy for Radioactive Discharges 2001 – 2020
Sociological and economic effects
Protection beyond National Borders

Health and Safety

Exposure of workers
Risks of accidents

Limits and conditions in discharge authorizations

Site and plant limits
Limits on individual radionuclides
Headroom
Notification levels
Capping discharge limits at design levels

Other conditions that should be applied to discharge authorizations

Monitoring
Research and development
Record keeping

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Published 23 November 2000

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