Commission Opinion of 30 May 2012 relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the interim storage facilities for intermediate-level waste and spent fuel at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station site, located in Somerset, United Kingdom, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty
Date: 2012-05-30
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: United Kingdom, fuel, nuclear accident, radioactive pollution, radioactive waste, storage of waste, waste disposal








C_2012154EN.01000101.xml










31.5.2012   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 154/1





COMMISSION OPINION
of 30 May 2012
relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the interim storage facilities for intermediate-level waste and spent fuel at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station site, located in Somerset, United Kingdom, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty
(Only the English text is authentic)
2012/C 154/01
The assessment below is carried out under the provisions of the Euratom Treaty, without prejudice to any additional assessments to be carried out under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the obligations stemming from it and from secondary legislation.
On 27 January 2012, 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 interim storage facilities for intermediate-level waste and spent fuel at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station site, located in Somerset, United Kingdom.
On the basis of these data, and following consultation with the Group of Experts, the Commission has drawn up the following opinion:






1.


The distance from the site to the nearest Member States is 185 km for France and 250 km for Ireland.










2.


Under normal operating conditions, the discharges of liquid and gaseous radioactive effluents are unlikely to cause an exposure of the population in another Member State that is significant from the point of view of health.










3.


Secondary solid low-level radioactive waste is temporarily stored on site before transfer to disposal facilities authorised by the United Kingdom regulatory authorities. Non-radioactive solid waste or residual materials will be released for disposal as conventional waste or for reuse or recycling in compliance with the criteria which are consistent with 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 another Member State would not be significant from the point of view of health.




In conclusion, the Commission is of the opinion that, both in normal operation and in the event of an accident of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, the implementation of the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste in whatever form from the interim storage facilities for intermediate-level waste and spent fuel at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station site, located in Somerset, United Kingdom, is not liable to result in radioactive contamination of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State that would be significant from the point of view of health.

Done at Brussels, 30 May 2012.


For the Commission

Günther OETTINGER

Member of the Commission