Commission opinion of 14 November 2005 concerning the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the operation of the nuclear licensed site and the decommissioning of three nuclear reactors at Winfrith in Dorset in the United Kingdom, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty
Date: 2005-11-15
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: United Kingdom, decommissioning of power stations, nuclear safety, radioactive effluent, waste management

C 282/8

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

15.11.2005

Commission opinion of 14 November 2005 concerning the plan for the disposal of radioactive
waste arising from the operation of the nuclear licensed site and the decommissioning of three
nuclear reactors at Winfrith in Dorset in the United Kingdom, in accordance with Article 37 of
the Euratom Treaty

(2005/C 282/07)

(Only the English text is authentic)

On 12 April 2005, the European Commission received from the Government of the United Kingdom, in
accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, General Data relating to the plan for the disposal of
radioactive waste arising from the operation of the nuclear licensed site and the decommissioning of three
nuclear reactors at Winfrith.

On the basis of the General Data and additional information requested by the Commission on 5 July 2005
and provided by the Government of the United Kingdom on 18 July 2005, and following consultation
with the Group of Experts, the Commission has drawn up the following opinion:

1. The distance between the plant and the nearest point on the territory of another Member State, in this

case France, is approximately 100 km.

2. During normal operating conditions, the discharges of liquid and gaseous effluents are not liable to
cause an exposure, significant from the point of view of health, of the population in other Member
States.

3. Low and intermediate level solid radioactive waste arising from the operations will be stored on-site.
Following authorisation, low level solid radioactive waste will be transferred later to Drigg or to other
disposal facilities. Non-radioactive solid waste and materials in compliance with clearance levels will be
released from regulatory control for disposal as conventional waste or for recycling or reuse. This will
be done in all cases in compliance with the criteria laid down in the Basic Safety Standards (Directive
96/29/Euratom).

4. In the event of unplanned releases of radioactive effluents, which may follow an accident of the type
and magnitude considered in the General Data, the doses likely to be received by the population in
other Member States would not be significant from the point of view of health.

In conclusion, the Commission is of the opinion that the implementation of the plan for the disposal of
radioactive waste in whatever form arising from the operation of the nuclear licensed site and the decom-
missioning of three nuclear reactors at Winfrith in the United Kingdom, both in normal operation and in
the event of an accident of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, is not liable to result in
radioactive contamination, significant from the point of view of health, of the water, soil or airspace of
another Member State.