Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd -LLW historic disposal

LLW historic disposal

The design of Dounreay in the 1950s took account of the need to dispose of solid items of “lower activity” waste.

An area of land between the Dounreay Fast Reactor and Fuel Cycle Area was identified as a disposal site.

A total of six shallow pits were excavated and these were used routinely over the next four decades to dispose of solid waste. One of the pits was also used for asbestos.

Dounreay was the only nuclear site in the UK with its own disposal facility for low level waste. All other sites used a national facility at Drigg in Cumbria.

In 1994, with the pits nearly full, the site sought planning permission for an extension from Highland Regional Council. This was turned down and new arisings subsequently were stored above ground.

The 1998 Safety Audit by regulators criticised the storage of low level waste as being contrary to national policy, which says such waste should be disposed of.

The site applied for permission to use the national facility at Drigg pending completion of a Best Practicable Environmental Option study for Dounreay’s waste. The BPEO, published in March 2005 following public consultation, concluded that a new disposal facility should be built at or close to the site.

In May 2005, the Scottish Executive ruled out sending Dounreay’s waste to Drigg as an interim measure.

Ross Finnie, the then Environment Minister, said: "This decision reflects a widespread view that the best practicable environmental option for this low level waste is that it should be dealt with at Dounreay, where it is produced.

"We are currently reviewing low level waste policy and Dounreay's own low level waste strategy document sets out the intention to develop a low level waste facility on site.

"Ministers support this aim and believe that it is essential that all involved now proceed to develop this proposal.

"It is important to recognise that low level waste has been stored at Dounreay in compliance with safety and environmental requirements. Arrangements will need to be made to ensure that this can continue and that Dounreay's strategy is implemented. We will be keeping these matters under review."

In 2006, the site applied to Highland Council for planning permission to construct a new disposal facility adjacent to the site. An application under the Radioactive Substances Act to authorise disposal to the new facility was made to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in March 2008.