Full Press Release from Hinkley Point A - 7th April 2004
Plans have been submitted to Somerset County Council to build a radioactive waste storage building at Hinkley Point A power station.
The move represents a major milestone in the decommissioning of the power station after permission to decommission was granted by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate last summer, following an extensive public consultation.
Site manager Joe Lamonby said: “The need for the store was identified and explained during that consultation. At that time we promised to keep local people informed of progress on the site and the formal planning application represents a very significant stage in decommissioning the site.
“We are sending hundreds of leaflets detailing the need for a store to people living around the site as well as to other key stakeholders.”
There are three types of waste produced at a nuclear power station – low
level,
intermediate level and high level. Low level waste has been dealt
with safely since Hinkley Point started generating electricity
in 1965 by sending it, in the main, to the country’s low
level repository in Cumbria. High level waste – not stored
at Hinkley Point – is managed at Sellafield.
Intermediate level waste (ILW), which consists of fuel can debris,
filter sludges and
ion exchange resins, has been housed safely at Hinkley Point
since 1965.
Mr Lamonby said: “The areas on site where waste has been stored up to now have been examined under our safety review process and are judged to be adequately safe at the present time. These facilities, however, are coming to the end of their operational lives and we need to make alternative arrangements as part of the decommissioning plans. There have been long delays in the development of a UK repository for intermediate level radioactive waste and even if the political decision was taken today to build one to cater for the UK’s nuclear waste it is unlikely that it would be available and operational for a significant time.
“Our plan is for the conditioned packages of intermediate level radioactive waste to be stored in a purpose-built, above ground waste storage building, designed to modern standards. Our independent regulator, the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, concurs with this approach.”
A detailed environmental statement has been submitted with the application and it is Somerset County Council’s responsibility to consult on these proposals. The whole environmental statement with its technical appendices and figures may be inspected during normal office hours at Somerset County Council, Environment Directorate, County Hall, Taunton and at the Hinkley Point Visitor Centre.
The building, which will be about 100m long, 24m wide and 18m high, will be large enough to accommodate the estimated 1,100 packages of waste with each package able to contain up to three cubic metres of treated waste. The store is specifically designed to cater for waste that has been generated on the site.
Hinkley Point is also asking the county council for permission to erect a number of temporary buildings – waste treatment and packaging facilities – which will be needed for part of the decommissioning process.
Defuelling of Hinkley Point A began in December 2001 and is more than 70 per cent complete. Once all the fuel has been removed from site so will 99 per cent of the radioactivity. Some ancillary buildings on the site have been removed and a contract to remove lagging from the giant turbine hall is ahead of schedule. Much of the lagging contains asbestos and is removed and disposed of under stringent conditions.
Leaflets containing more information can be obtained from the Visitor Centre on: 01278 654700.
