Regulating radioactive substances

In the autumn we publish a joint annual report summarising our scrutiny of Nuclear Waste Services’ work during the year. Read a summary and find out more about how the Environment Agency and the Office for Nuclear Regulation will jointly regulate a geological disposal facility for radioactive waste in England.  #nuclear

The Environment Agency is consulting on a review of its time and material charges for implementation in April 2025. The consultation includes proposals related to our radioactive substances regulation work. These are: * to increase the hourly rates for Specified Radioactive Substances Activities, often commonly referred to as Nuclear Time and Materials Charges  * new charges for Radiation Emergency Preparedness and Public Information Regulations (REPPIR) where we take part in off-site testing of emergency plans * introducing a new Specified Radioactive Substances Activity to cover our work on nuclear waste disposal You can respond online until 20 January 2025.  https://lnkd.in/eGkikYQd #nuclear #radioactivesubstances #industryregulation

We want your views on our proposed updates to guidance on the regulation of solid radioactive waste disposal facilities. The Environment Agency, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Natural Resources Wales and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency are consulting on proposals to update the guidance on how we regulate near surface and geological disposal facilities. The draft guidance documents explain what an operator must show us to obtain an environmental permit or permits for such a radioactive waste disposal facility. This consultation includes the draft guidance on the requirements for authorisation (GRA) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, a similar consultation will be taking place for a GRA with a focus on near-surface disposal facilities only. The staged regulation guidance only applies in England and explains how we will make permitting decisions and what a permit holder will have to demonstrate, to comply with the requirements for investigating, developing, operating and closing a geological disposal facility We're consulting for 15 weeks on these documents, which you can read on GOV.UK and CitizenSpace. We are holding an online engagement event about this consultation in January 2025 (date to be confirmed). https://lnkd.in/eSaQKx4Q 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. #nuclear #consultation #radioactivewaste

During the international engagement with nuclear organisations in Canada this month, Amber Bannon and George Royston-Bishop had an informative visit to the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) facilities at Chalk River to learn about the ongoing research into Advanced Nuclear Technologies (ANTs) and fusion. The team also attended the Canadian Nuclear Society's Fifth International Conference on Generation IV and Small Reactors (G4SR-5) in Ottawa. Greg Black presented on the Environment Agency's work to build capability in readiness for ANT and fusion. Amber Bannon, international policy lead, said: “We recognise Canada as an important international partner. We share common ambitions for the next generation of large-scale fission power stations, deployment of small modular reactors, and the advancement and deployment of fusion technologies. Our engagements have strengthened our relationship and we look forward to future collaboration." #nuclear #ANTs #environmentalprotection

𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗡𝘂𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 The Environment Agency’s nuclear regulation teams are now working more closely with the Canadian nuclear regulator following the signing of an agreement this summer. This Memorandum of Understanding will ensure that we and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission – Commission canadienne de sûreté nucléaire (CNSC) can collaborate more closely across many areas of mutual interest. This includes assessment of new nuclear power station designs and development of approaches to regulate fusion systems. A Memorandum of Understanding is a statement of intent, agreed voluntarily between organisations working together, setting out their commitment, resources and other things they’ll bring to the relationship.  Greg Black from our Advanced Nuclear Technologies team said: “The nuclear industry and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero have been calling for regulators to look at ways to ‘improve’ regulatory practices and this will enable us to be more efficient to protect people and the environment and support long term energy security." When Ian Streatfield and Greg Black visited Canada in October the recently signed MoU enabled discussion on areas of mutual interest and how we can work together. Greg Black also met with the British High Commission Science team who will be funding some of our engagement work with CNSC.  

Nuclear regulation leads from the Environment Agency are amongst 1200 delegates attending the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s First International Conference on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and their Applications in Vienna this week. The event is looking at opportunities and challenges for the development and deployment of SMRs. Saffron Price-Finnerty (Reactor Assessment & Radiological Monitoring Manager), Alan McGoff (Policy Lead New Nuclear Build) and Paula Atkin (Delivery Lead for GE-Hitachi’s BWRX-300) had an opportunity to meet with IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi where they talked about how important it is to consider safety, security, safeguards and the environment in assessments and to work with others internationally to ensure people and the environment are protected.   Delegates at this forum include technology holders, SMR users and operators, representatives of regulatory bodies and financial groups. Our team is attending sessions on a wide range of subjects including design, technology and fuel cycle, legislative and regulatory frameworks, and safety, security and safeguards.    Saffron said: “This is the first IAEA conference dedicated to SMRs and their applications. It’s a significant and important event and we are pleased to be a part of it”. “We’re learning more about the challenges of SMRs from other’s perspectives and about other countries’ regulatory approaches. We’ll use this learning to help inform and improve our approach and assessment work. We are already assessing three SMRs in our Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process and are preparing for site specific work.   Alan said: “A key theme at the conference is the need for regulators to work together and coordinate their work internationally. It’s also good to see that many of the overseas regulators here are now introducing pre-licensing assessment and early engagement processes – which we, through GDA, introduced in 2006.” #nuclear #smr #environmentalprotection https://lnkd.in/dXKqGwqb GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Rolls-Royce SMR Holtec Britain

We've published our annual 'Regulatory scrutiny and engagement for geological disposal' report. The Environment Agency and the Office for Nuclear Regulation are working together to make sure that any future geological disposal facility (GDF) will meet the required high standards for environmental protection, safety, safeguards and security. The Environment Agency is responsible for making sure that the developer of a GDF meets the high standards we set to protect people and the environment. This includes during the design, development, operation and closure of the facility. This report details how we are continuing with our work to review Nuclear Waste Services' ongoing programme, and have provided advice, guidance and detailed comments to NWS. It summarises the work that the regulators carried out to scrutinise NWS’s work and our interactions with the public during 2023 to 2024. We are engaging with NWS now, so that when a site is identified NWS already understands what it needs to do to meet our high standards of regulation. Read the report https://lnkd.in/dWd-2u2R South Copeland GDF Community Partnership Mid Copeland GDF Community Partnership Theddlethorpe GDF Community Partnership #nuclear #geologicaldisposal #environmentalprotection

𝐖𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫 (𝐍𝐮𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭) We’ve got two fantastic opportunities to work as a Senior Advisor (Nuclear Specialist) in either our Radioactive Substances Regulation Business Team or our New and Operational Nuclear Sites team in Energy and Resources in the national Environment & Business (E&B) Directorate. In these roles you’ll: • provide national technical leadership, analysis and advice to our site regulators and others across the Environment Agency, to Government, and to other regulators and industry • need a sound understanding of the nuclear industry, radioactive substances regulation, wider environmental protection, sustainable development and government policies and strategies • benefit from sound knowledge of the environmental challenges the UK faces and the socio-economic environment. Closing date 3 November. #nuclearjobs #nuclear https://lnkd.in/e4x2yiQR

Representatives from the Environment Agency were part of the UK delegation to the 68th International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna in September. Jake Surman, our policy lead for innovation, presented and answered questions in a UK-led session during the conference on "Becoming Innovative Regulators" alongside colleagues from Office for Nuclear Regulation and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Working with others at the conference and leading the session on innovation enabled us to share learning, influence the IAEA and strengthen our international collaboration on radioactive substances regulation. #nuclear #innovation

New and Operational Nuclear Sites Manager, Andy Mayall, is delighted that a recent paper on radiological protection and sustainable development, that he co-authored with colleagues at the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), has now been downloaded over 6000 times.   "In ICRP we are working to make sure that sustainable development is at the core of its next set of general recommendations to protect people and the environment from radiation while enabling its beneficial uses. "The paper proposes a direction of travel and calls for international dialogue on this important issue. Sustainable development is also a core duty of the Environment Agency and we are working hard to ensure that the industries that we regulate in the radioactive substances sectors contribute effectively while protecting people and the environment." The article is Open Access and is published in Radiation and Environmental Biophysics. Read the article https://rdcu.be/dXbp9 Rühm, W., Applegate, K., Bochud, F. et al. The system of radiological protection and the UN sustainable development goals. Radiat Environ Biophys (2024).