The disposal of redundant chemicals will take place at Sellafield this weekend.
The activity is pre-planned and is part of Sellafield Ltd’s redundant chemicals disposal programme.
Specialist disposals experts will carry out the work, alongside the Sellafield Ltd remediation team.
The activity will take place behind a cordon in the centre of the Sellafield site. Sellafield said it is unlikely to be seen or heard from outside the site.
Glenn McCracken, head of site remediation for Sellafield Ltd, said: “This work is part of our long-term disposal programme for redundant chemicals stored on our site.
“It’s important that we proactively manage these chemicals and dispose of them before they become unsafe.
“We’ve chosen the safest disposal method for each chemical identified as requiring disposal. Our regulators are aware and are satisfied our approach is appropriate.”
This weekend’s work is the first of three planned disposals. Others are scheduled to take place on June 10 to June 12 and June 17 to June 19.
Sellafield’s chemicals disposal programme was established following identification of a number of unsafe chemicals in 2017.
A subsequent audit found approximately 8,000 chemicals required disposal. A dedicated packing and disposal facility was established on the site last year to support the process.
The work covers chemicals with a known disposal route, those which require repackaging for disposal, and problematic chemicals which require investigation, analysis, and inspection.
