Guidance on the requirements for authorisation and staged regulation for the disposal of solid radioactive waste

Overview

Our role

The Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) are the independent environmental regulators for the radioactive waste disposal industry in the UK. We make sure that radioactive waste disposal facilities meet high standards of environmental protection.

Any company that wants to operate a solid radioactive waste disposal facility must show that it can do the following safely and securely, while also protecting the environment:

• design, build and operate the facility

• manage and monitor any emissions

• close the facility and show that it will be safe for a very long time

Our consultation

These draft guidance documents explain what an operator must show us in order for them to obtain an environmental permit or permits for such a radioactive waste disposal facility. It is important to note that our guidance doesn’t cover the siting of radioactive waste disposal facilities. This is covered by the land-use or waste planning policy and legislation of the relevant country, or the nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) legislation (for geological disposal facilities in England or Wales).

The draft guidance we are consulting on consists of:

• Disposal facilities for solid radioactive waste: guidance on the requirements for authorisation (GRA)

• Guidance on staged regulation

This consultation includes the draft GRA for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland a similar consultation is taking place for a GRA containing much of the same content but with a focus on near surface disposal facilities only (it does not cover geological disposal facilities).

The GRA will replace 2 existing published documents (see related links below):

• 2009 Guidance on Requirements for Authorisation (GRA) of Near-surface Disposal Facilities on Land for Solid Radioactive Wastes for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

• 2009 Guidance on Requirements for Authorisation (GRA) of Geological Disposal Facilities on Land for Solid Radioactive Wastes for England, Wales and Northern Ireland

These 2009 GRAs were jointly issued by the Environment Agency of England and Wales (as this was before Natural Resources Wales (NRW) formed in 2013), the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) and (in the case of the first near-surface document only) the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

For England and Wales only, the GRA will also replace two 2012 supplements to the 2009 GRAs concerning implementation of the Groundwater Directive.

Some of the staged regulation guidance is new, and some used to be in the 2009 geological disposal GRA. While draft versions of some of this guidance has existed, it has not been published in this form before.

This guidance only applies in England and explains how we will make permitting decisions, and what an operator will have to show us, for the early stages of regulation of a potential geological disposal facility.

We want your views on our draft guidance to help us finalise and publish them in 2025.

We have published the following documents in the ‘related documents’ section at the bottom of this page. 

• Consultation - public summary
• Welsh translation of the introduction and executive summary from GRA document
• Consultation document 1: Disposal facilities for solid radioactive waste: guidance on the requirements for authorisation (GRA)
• Consultation document 2: Guidance on staged regulation
• Response form if not submitting online

Why your views matter

Your views count

We aim to build and maintain confidence in our decision-making processes through our public engagement and consultation. It is our responsibility to make decisions about environmental permit applications for radioactive waste disposal facilities, but we consider that the guidance that we and the operators follow can be improved through consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. We can all help to protect and improve the environment by being actively involved. Our public participation statement shows how our process is open, transparent and consultative. We would like people to understand our role in relation to radioactive waste disposal, what we are doing and why it’s important.

During our consultations on individual permit applications, we share information with people, explain our proposed decisions and we emphasise that we will not make any final decisions until we have considered all relevant responses to the consultation. These documents guide the operators on what to submit and how we review their submissions. Our approach to consultation is in line with the government’s published consultation principles and our public participation statement.

Our consultations are open to everyone and, in particular, we invite the following groups to take part:

• the nuclear and radioactive waste disposal industry

• members of the public and communities (including local interest and action groups), particularly those in areas who have, or might have in the future, radioactive waste disposal facilities

• elected representatives, including MPs

• local councils near to current or future sites

• academics, scientists and consultants with an interest in radioactive waste disposal, nuclear power, energy or the environment

• non-governmental organisations (NGOs), campaign groups and environmental groups

• statutory consultees

• other government agencies

• other regulators

• any other organisation or public bodies

We have published a public summary (see related documents below)

Consultation event

We are holding an online engagement event about this consultation in January 2025 (date to be confirmed). To register or find out more about the event please email nuclear@environment-agency.gov.uk