CA20 1PG, Sellafield Ltd, Sellafield site – EPR/KP3690SX/V013: Radioactive Substances Activities (RSA) Environmental Permit Variation Consultation

Closed 3 Sep 2023

Opened 7 Aug 2023

Contact

Nuclear Regulation Group

03708 506 506

nuclear@environment-agency.gov.uk

Feedback updated 5 Oct 2023

We asked

Sellafield Limited applied to the Environment Agency to vary its radioactive substances activity permit in July 2023.

The radioactive substances activity permit controls receipt and disposal of radioactive waste and imposes conditions and limits on radioactive discharges to the environment.

We asked for your comments during a consultation on the application from 7 August to 3 September 2023.

When we consulted, we explained that we could not take account of anything outside the scope of the Environmental Permitting Regulations. For example, Government policy and Nuclear Decommissioning Authority strategies impacting on Sellafield operations.

During the consultations we shared information and explained that, once we had assessed all the information and responses received during the consultation, we would produce a decision document for the permit variation. We emphasised that we would not make any final decisions until we had considered all relevant responses to the consultation.

You said

We received 64 responses from organisations and members of the public.

All responses to our consultation (if the respondent gave permission) are published on this page.

Information about which organisations responded and how each response has been considered is included in our final decision document.

We would like to thank everyone who responded to the consultations.

We did

We have assessed the permit application, reviewed the evidence, and carefully considered the responses we received from consultation.

Our final decision is that we should grant the permit variation the operator has requested. We have added new plant notification levels and conditions in the permit to protect people and the environment.

The final permit and decision document are published below.

Results updated 5 Oct 2023

Files:

Published responses

View submitted responses where consent has been given to publish the response.

Overview

We have received an application from Sellafield Ltd to make changes to the existing Radioactive Substances Activities (RSA) permit for the Sellafield site in Cumbria. The permit controls receipt and disposal of radioactive waste and imposes conditions and limits on radioactive discharges to the environment.

The proposed changes to the permit are as follows:

  • registration of the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS) Retrievals Ventilation System (RVS) 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 (HEPA) 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 (CLESA) into an adjacent ‘valley area’. Please note that there are no required changes to the site’s RSA environmental permit site boundary.

Please scroll to the bottom of this page to view the permit application documents.

Why your views matter

We are consulting on this application to give people the opportunity to understand the proposed changes to the permit and provide us with any information they think is relevant to our decision making.

Providing comments

We can take account of...

  • Relevant environmental regulatory requirements and technical standards
  • Information on local population and sensitive sites
  • Comments on whether the right process is being used for the activity
  • The potential impact, whether the impact is acceptable and what pollution control measures or abatement may be required
  • Information that we have not been made aware of in the application.

We cannot take account of...

  • Issues beyond those in the relevant environmental regulations
  • Anything outside the scope of the Environmental Permitting Regulations. For example, Government policy and Nuclear Decommissioning Authority strategies impacting on Sellafield operations
  • Whether a site should have a formal designation under Habitats Directive or other conservation legislation
  • Whether the activity should be allowed or not as a matter of principle and the justification of practices involving radiation. For example, we will not consider whether spent nuclear fuel should be reprocessed or stored pending disposal in a Geological Disposal Facility
  • Land use issues, or sustainability challenges
  • The impact of noise and odour from traffic travelling to and from the site
  • Comments on the legally defined process we follow to determine a permit

What happens next

Once we have assessed all the information and responses received during the consultation, we will produce a decision document for the permit variation. We will address any responses raised during the consultation in that decision document.

The decision document, permit and variation notice will be published on this consultation page in October 2023.

Audiences

  • Businesses
  • Statutory organisations
  • NGOs
  • Members of the public
  • Elected representatives, including MPs
  • Local councils
  • Academics
  • The nuclear industry

Interests

  • Permits
  • Nuclear
  • Environmental permitting
  • Radioactive substances regulations