Commission Opinion of 10 March 2011 relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the Lillyhall Very Low-level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility, located in Cumbria, United Kingdom, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty
Date: 2011-03-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: United Kingdom, decommissioning of power stations, nuclear power station, nuclear safety, public health, radioactive effluent, radioactive pollution, radioactive waste, waste management








C_2011077EN.01000101.xml










11.3.2011   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 77/1





COMMISSION OPINION
of 10 March 2011
relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the Lillyhall Very Low-level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility, located in Cumbria, United Kingdom, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty
(Only the English text is authentic)
2011/C 77/01
On 1 September 2010, the European Commission received from the British Government, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, General Data relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the Lillyhall Very Low-level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility.
On the basis of these data and additional information requested by the Commission on 8 October 2010 and provided by the British authorities on 13 December 2010, and following consultation with the Group of Experts, the Commission has drawn up the following opinion:






1.


The distance between the disposal facility and the nearest point on the territory of another Member State, in this case Ireland, is 180 km.










2.


During the disposal facility's operational period:






—


radioactive waste will be emplaced in the disposal facility without intention of retrieval,










—


the disposal facility will not be subject to a discharge authorisation for liquid and gaseous radioactive effluents. However, radioactive gases will emanate from the disposal facility; these are not liable to affect the health of the population of another Member State,










—


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 received in another Member State will not be liable to affect the health of the population.














3.


After the disposal facility's operational period:
The measures envisaged for the final closure of the disposal facility as described in the General Data, provide reliance that the conclusions under point 2 above will remain valid in the long term.




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 Lillyhall Very Low-level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility in the United Kingdom, during its normal operational life and after its final closure, as well as in the event of an accident of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, is not liable to result in the radioactive contamination of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State.

Done at Brussels, 10 March 2011.


For the Commission

Günther OETTINGER

Member of the Commission