Sellafield Ltd has applied to make changes to its radioactive substances activities permit.
The firm is asking the Environment Agency if it can vary parts of the permit – which controls the receipt and disposal of radioactive waste as well as imposing conditions and limits on radioactive discharges.
As an organisation working to protect the environment in England, the agency regulates discharges and radioactive waste disposals from Sellafield.
It also sets stringent discharge limits in the firm’s permits as well as also making sure the company minimises discharges and their impacts on people and the environment.
A consultation on the changes has been launched today in a bid to allow people to understand the proposed changes and have their say on future decision making.
Richard Wood, Sellafield nuclear regulation team leader for the Environment Agency, said: “The Environment Agency has been working with Sellafield Ltd on their application to vary parts of the environmental permit which controls receipt and disposal of radioactive waste and requires careful conditions regarding radioactive discharges.
“Changes to this permit have been submitted by the company, and our consultation is now open. We are encouraging people learn more about the proposed changes and provide us with any information that they think is relevant to decision making.”
The consultation will close on September 1 2023.
Proposed changes to the permit are as follows:
- Registration of the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo Retrievals Ventilation System stub stack which is being constructed to minimise and reduce facility gaseous discharges during operational activities by improving gaseous abatement with the use of additional High Efficiency Particulate Air filters.
- Registration of an Outfall X to discharge construction related aqueous waste arisings (non-sewage trade waste) to the River Calder via surface water drainage.
- The removal of the Gaseous Annual Site Limits for Krypton-85 & Antimony-125 following the completion of Magnox reprocessing in July 2022.
- A reduction to the Radium-226 limit and update to the site plan due to Sellafield Ltd’s application to extend the Calder Landfill Extension Segregated Area into an adjacent ‘valley area’. There are no required changes to the site’s RSA environmental permit site boundary.
To access the consultation, visit https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/cumbria-and-lancashire/ca20-1pg-sellafield-ltd-sellafield-site-epr-kp3690
