UK nuclear industry
Low Level Waste
strategy
LLW Policy
• Published March 2007 following wide
consultation
• Provides high level framework for taking
waste management decisions which are:
• Safe
• Environmentally acceptable
• Cost effective
• New waste category – high volume very
low level waste (HV VLLW) – subcategory of LLW
• Emphasis in applying the ‘waste
management hierarchy’
LLW Policy
• More flexibility in disposal routes for LLW, including HV
VLLW
• Disposal on or adjacent to nuclear sites
• Disposal to existing landfill
• Waste producers are responsible for developing their
own waste management plans and strategies
• Plans must be informed by assessment of potential
radiation exposures and risks
• Upper limits to exposures and risks are the same for all types
of radioactive waste disposal sites
• Lower levels of controls needed for less active wastes
Strategic mandate
• Policy requires NDA to publish a UK LLW Strategy and
Management Plan for integrating LLW management
throughout the UK
• Policy framework introduced a more flexible and fit-forpurpose approach for LLW management centred around
the application of the waste hierarchy
• NDA drafting the UK Nuclear Industry LLW Strategy in
parallel with
• DECC drafting of Non-nuclear Industry LLW strategy
Partnership with LLWR
• Partnership implemented as part of successful contract
award at the LLW Repository
• Purpose is to establish a UK-wide integrated National
LLW programme to:
• Drive technical innovation
• Obtain substantial overall cost savings
• Promote waste disposition acceleration
• Develop and implement a National LLW Strategy
The challenge
3,500,000
Total 3M m3
3,000,000
LLW
Total: 3.0 millions m3
VLLW
2,000,000
VLLW 1.8M m3
VLLW: 1.8 millions m3
1,500,000
1,000,000
LLW 1.2M m3
500,000
LLW: 1.2 millions m3
Year
2124
2120
2116
2112
2108
2104
2100
2096
2092
2088
2084
2080
2076
2072
2068
2064
2060
2056
2052
2048
2044
2040
2036
2032
2028
2024
2020
2016
2012
0
2008
Volume (cubic metres)
2,500,000
Inputs and outputs
UK LLW Strategic review
UK Nuclear Industry
LLW Strategy
LLW Strategy Group
SEA Environment and
Sustainability Report
Strategic Environmental Assessment
UK LLW Management
Plan
Topic specific reviews
Waste stream specific reviews
LLWR Operational
Strategy
Inputs and outputs
• Key Technical Reports and Strategies
• NDA Strategy
• Strategic and Site BPEO and Risk Assessments
• Strategic Environmental Assessment
• LLW Strategic Review
• Topical Strategies for LLW Management;
• LLWR Operational Strategy
• Strategic Technical Briefs
• 23 diverse LLW position papers and technical analyses
• Life Time Plans and Integrated Waste Strategies
• Stakeholder interactions
Strategic Environmental
Assessment
SEA
“A form of assessment
…considers social,
economic and environmental
effects and appraises them
in relation to the aims of
sustainable development“
Consistent with
Sustainability Appraisal
Work so far
• Scoping Consultation July 08
• Response to Scoping
Consultation November 08
• Assessment and Environmental
and Sustainability Report
November 08 to April 09
Environment and Sustainability Report
• Outline of the strategy
• Relationship with other plans
• State of the environment
• Characteristics of affected areas
• Existing environmental issues
• Significant (+ve and –ve) effects
• Proposals to mitigate effects
• Why proposed options chosen
• Monitoring proposals
Baseline and Key Issues
National baseline using information from NDA
and other sources
Key Issues:
•
•
•
•
•
LLWR capacity
Discharges and Climate
Hazard Reduction
Transport
Value for Money
Realistic Options
As many
interrelated options
have grouped into
3 ‘considerations’
Where
How
Disposal
Capacity
Treatment and Disposal Options
•
•
•
•
•
•
Opportunity to divert from disposal in LLWR
Flexible approaches to diverse wastes.
Few sustainability objectives discriminate
Some objectives inherently local
Many options perform similarly
Regulation  low radiological impacts
Location of Waste Mangement
Facilities
•
•
•
•
Use of existing facilities positive
Potential efficiencies with larger facilities
Large facilities necessary for some options
Transport and traffic is:
• Modest discriminator
• Key issue for local Stakeholders
• Economy and community
• Positive direct effects on economy
• Indirect economic effects
• Community well being
Options for Maintaining
Disposal Capacity
• Optimised use of LLWR preferred
• Dependant on environmental safety case
• Planning and regulatory approvals required
• Significant impacts of large retrieval
…so, what is the
proposed strategy?
Strategic Vision
• Protect human health and the environment
• Facilitate ongoing hazard reduction and decommissioning
• Provide continued capability and capacity for the
management and disposal of LLW in the UK
• Provide a framework for development and implementation of
LLW management plans
• Consider impacts of waste management options on a
national scale
• Provide strategic value and balance for LLW Management
– Minimise the environmental and social impacts
– Provide the most advantageous use of the current repository
Environmental and
Strategic Principles
•
Health, safety, security,
and environment
•
Availability of waste
routes critical
•
Waste characterisation
and segregation
•
•
Effective risk-based and
proportionate regulation
Stakeholder and
community engagement
vital to new routes
•
NDA waste management
facilities available on
suitable commercial
terms
•
Integrated waste
management – important
strategic interfaces
•
Flexibility and fit-forpurpose solutions
•
Sound business cases
and robust decision
making
Three Strategic Themes
Application of the waste
management hierarchy to
the management of LLW
Make best use
of existing
assets
Opening and
exploitation of
new routes
WMH - Avoidance &
characterisation
• Waste avoidance
– Good practice, contaminated land planning, decommissioning
planning, decontamination, R&D
• Characterisation
– NICOP on Clearance and Exemption, R&D, good practice,
standard approaches
• Sort and segregate
– Good practice, incentivise (inc. pricing at LLWR), assistance to
consignors ~ new containers
WMH - Minimise, Re-use, and
Recycle
• Compaction
– Continued use of compaction, better packaging
• Decay storage
– Consideration of decay storage on a case-by-case basis
• Re-use and recycling
– Maximise opportunities for re-use and recycling of materials;
identifying end users for soil, rubble and demolition materials;
landscaping
WMH - Treatment
• Metal decontamination/melting
• Incineration
– Will not actively pursue energy recovery due to complexity
• Market driven
– Supply chain investment; stable competitive market; centralised
LLWR procurement services; flexibility needed before disposal
• Existing NDA site waste infrastructure
– Must demonstrate value for money
Make Best Use of
Existing Assets
• Optimised use of LLWR
– Only appropriate wastes consigned for disposal requiring
engineered multi-barrier containment and meeting Conditions
for Acceptance
– Co-mingling of exempt and VLLW in containers intended for the
LLWR shall be avoided as practicable
• Early Contingency planning
– Replacement national repositories
– Integration with deep geological repository and new nuclear
build programmes and strategies
Make Best Use of
Existing Assets
• Optimised Waste Packaging
– New packages for enhanced transportation and disposal
– Centralised through LLWR to improved integration
• Improved Waste Inventory
– LLWR will compile best available information on LLW
Inventory
– Support to national capacity planning and future business
cases
Make Best Use of
Existing Assets
• Improved Methods of Transport
– Coordination through LLWR, Consignors, and treatment
and disposal facilities in the UK and overseas
– Centralised through LLWR to improved integration
– LLWR to prepare transport strategy with preference for
use of rail infrastructure where practicable and cost
effective
New Routes
• LLWR
– New waste services for all consignors to use
• Disposal
– Final unretrievable disposal is the end point for all LLW
– Options to be considered on a case-by-case basis
• VLLW disposal and controlled burial
– Disposal capacity needed in near term
– Supply chain to be utilised in developing new routes for
consignors
New Routes
• Proposals for on-site disposal
– appropriateness of the site
– a comparison with other options – existing facilities?
– consideration of the potential benefits
– robust Environmental Safety Case
– stakeholder interests (public acceptability; supply chain)
– impacts on potential future uses of the site
– long term impacts on the site (de-licensing, end state
and end use)
Three Strategic Themes
Application of the waste
management hierarchy to
the management of LLW
Make best use
of existing
assets
Opening and
exploitation of
new routes
What could be achieved….
HHISO to LLWR 1 & 2 options in combination
250000
Base
Diversion + Packaging
Diversion + Metal Treatment
Packaging + Metal treatment
200000
HHISO cumulative
Diversion + Packaging + Metal Treatment
Volume
Reduction
150,000
HHISOs
150000
100000
(2.9million m3)
New Repository
Required in 2020
50000
New Repository
Required in 2080
0
2000
2020
2040
2060
2080
2100
Year
LLWR Capacity
2120
2140
2160
2180
…what does this mean in
practice?
(Strategy implementation)
Strategy Implementation
• Lots of good work already being done
• Driving the right behaviours and working with others
• How it all fits together
• Influencing
• What we can and can’t do…
• UK LLW Management Plan
• the detailed initiatives that help us implement this
strategy
• Operational strategy for LLWR
National LLW Management
Plan
• Draft National LLW Management Plan will initiate
implementation of strategy innovations
• Developed by LLWR and issued to NDA on 17 February
2009
• Consulted at National LLW Strategy Group
• Focus on:
• Implementation of the waste hierarchy
• Long-term sustainability
• Use of good practice and innovative technology
• Available on LLWR website (www.llwrsite.com)
Near Term Deliverables
Deliverable
Target Date
Lead
LLW Strategic Review
January
LLWR
Draft National LLW Management Plan
February
LLWR
Draft UK Nuclear Industry Solid LLW
Strategy
May
NDA
SEA Environment and Sustainability Report
for consultation
May
NDA
Final UK Nuclear Industry Solid LLW
Strategy Approval
~ December
NDA
SEA Post Adoption Statement
~ December
NDA
Longer-Term Expectations
• UK LLW Strategy is intended to be flexible and dynamic
• Give clear strategic direction for delivery
• Maximum synergies across the UK
• Optimum flexibility
• Alignment for NDA sites via Site Strategic Specifications
• Allows for proportionality, affordability, and balance
• Update National Strategic Reviews every 2 years
• Update National LLW Management Plan annually
• Policy
Strategy
Site Plans