Radioactive waste management

At first sight it may appear strange to see an editorial on radioactive waste management in a publication on renewable energy. However, radioactive waste exists and we believe that a solution should be found for dealing with it. Finding a solution raises as many social and ethical issues as scientific and technical ones.

We, at Nirex, are looking forward to engaging in a broad discussion on the way forward in managing radioactive waste in the UK. We are trying to learn the lessons of the past in order to address the concerns of the future.

Since the early 1980s Nirex has been at the leading edge of science, providing advice on the scientific and technical aspects of packaging, storing and disposing of certain types of radioactive waste. Nowadays, we are also looking hard at how we can help the nation to reach a decision on what should be done with this waste in the long-term.

It is a decision that cannot be avoided indefinitely. Even if we were to stop creating more radioactive waste this minute, we would still need to deal with the quantities that already exist.

The issues are complex and far-reaching. What we all decide will affect not just our children and grandchildren, but thousands of generations to come. That's why it is so important that we work together to find an acceptable answer.

Radioactive waste exists

Radioactive waste has been created since the 1940s. Much of it comes from nuclear power stations and from reprocessing fuel for reuse. Some comes from nuclear weapons and operating nuclear submarines, some from scientific research and some from medical processes to diagnose and treat diseases like cancer.

Some waste contains very low concentrations of radioactivity and is relatively harmless. In other types, such as high-level waste, the concentration is so high that there must be physical barriers to protect people and the environment.

Some waste will remain radioactive for billions of years whereas some will lose its radioactivity in a matter of a few years. This factor must be considered in the management of radioactive waste.

The UK and other countries have for over fifty years been grappling with the problem of what to do with intermediate and high-level radioactive waste. During that time there have been advances in our scientific understanding and changes in both government policy and public opinion.

Managing radioactive waste is an ethical issue

Everyone agrees that radioactive waste must be kept safely isolated from people and the environment, not just for our lifetimes, but for thousands of generations to come.

In the UK most low-level waste is treated and disposed of as it is created. But we still need to agree what to do with our growing stocks of intermediate and high level waste. As a nation, we have tried and failed to reach consensus on this issue in the past. Now, as we enter a new millennium, we are trying once again.

Reaching a decision

Anyone who begins to think about radioactive waste management quickly finds that it is a complex and challenging issue. Like other difficult issues of our time - such as genetically modified foods or embryo research - it raises as many social and ethical problems as scientific and technical ones.

For these reasons, creating a process by which a decision can be made is just as important as our ongoing investment in scientific and technical research. That is why our priority at the moment is to gain a better understanding of what sort of process could deliver consensus on a future waste management strategy.

We see ourselves as having two main responsibilities with regard to involving the public.

• To ensure that the body of research and learning we have gathered in the last two decades is widely accessible.
• To provide materials which enable people to take part in the debate on radioactive waste, if they so choose.

Making information accessible

We realise that sharing information is an important step towards a constructive dialogue. We also appreciate that being open about our research and our own internal workings will make it easier for others to collaborate with us. We have set various initiatives underway, are actively publishing material on our web-site (www.nirex.co.uk), and inviting comment.

Transparency policy Within Nirex we are implementing a transparency policy. Our aim is to make it easier for people to get information from us and share their views with us offline, online and in person. We are also ensuring that our procedures are clear so that outsiders can see how decisions are made and who is accountable.

Environmental policy So that others can understand our underlying approach we are articulating and publishing the principles on which we base our thinking and advice.

In line with UK government thinking we have established a set of sustainability principles. We believe solutions for radioactive waste management should be developed through careful consideration of a full range of options based on these principles.

Our sustainability principles This generation should seek to minimise the burdens it imposes on present and future generations for the management of radioactive waste. The impacts on the human and natural environment of future generations arising from the management of radioactive waste should be no greater than those which are acceptable today. Solutions for radioactive waste management should be implemented in a staged or stepwise manner, extending freedom of choice for future generations. In the long term, solutions for radioactive waste management should not rely on the stability and resources of future generations to maintain their safety.

The current Nirex mission

'Our purpose is to provide the United Kingdom with environmentally sound options for the disposal of radioactive waste generated by the nation's commercial, medical, research and defence activities. This will include all intermediate-level radioactive waste and some low-level waste.'

This mission and the company's role and activities are evolving in response to changing circumstances and ideas.

Supporting an inclusive debate

We need to promote dialogue and debate as a step towards building consensus. This means talking to as many organisations and individuals with a stake in the discussion as possible. These include scientists, national and local government, the general public, civil society groups, green organisations, the nuclear industry and our waste management counterparts overseas.

Academic partnerships We work closely with academic departments at many UK universities including Imperial College London, University College London, Edinburgh, Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle, East Anglia, Birmingham and Leeds. Most partnerships concern scientific research, but some relate to engineering or the social sciences.

We also have long-standing links with the British Geological Survey, the Geological Society and a number of engineering institutes.

Pressure groups We have regular dialogue with non-governmental organisations such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth.

Public engagement We are also working hard to engage members of the public in discussions about the management of radioactive waste.

One very successful initiative in which we were involved was the UKCEED conference in 1999. A 'citizens' panel' of 15 members of public was given the opportunity to hear the evidence about managing radioactive waste, hear the arguments and decide what they think.

If you would like to send any comments or request further information, please write to:

David Wild
Head of Corporate Communications
Nirex
Curie Avenue
Harwell
Didcot
Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD
UK

Or e-mail us: info@nirex.co.uk

 

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