Who we are

Office for Nuclear Regulation

The Office for Nuclear Regulation is responsible for all nuclear sector regulation across the UK.

ONR was formed on 1 April 2011 as an agency of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). ONR is now working towards becoming an independent statutory corporation.

The safety of nuclear installations in the UK is assured by a system of regulatory control based on a licensing process by which a corporate body is granted a licence to use a site for specified activities.

ONR grants nuclear site licences to allow the installation and operation of nuclear power stations. ONR would take the GDA process, and in particular the granting of a design acceptance confirmation (DAC), into consideration in assessing an application for a new site licence. ONR must also be satisfied that the applicant has developed adequate arrangements for the management of;

• design
• manufacture
• construction
• commissioning
• operation
• maintenance
• decommissioning; and
• the management of radioactive material on the site.

The assessment of adequacy is a continuing process that develops and changes through the life of the site. The powers in the Licence enable ONR to ensure that arrangements are adequate for on site activities at any particular phase.

ONR's Civil Nuclear Security programme is also concerned with:

• physical security of nuclear material
• IT security
• security of nuclear material in transit
• vetting people who access nuclear sites

ONR require the holder of the nuclear site licence to submit a site security plan to be approved before nuclear material arrives on site.

The Environment Agency

To reduce the impact of waste disposals on our air, water and land, the Environment Agency:

• regulates discharges and radioactive waste disposals from nuclear power stations in England and Wales
• authorises operators of these sites to dispose of their radioactive waste
• sets limits on the amount of waste that operators can dispose of
• sets conditions on the way they dispose of it

The Environment Agency also grants and enforces other environmental permits that a nuclear site may need, including permission to:

• draw water from rivers
• discharge non-radioactive substances to rivers, estuaries or the sea
• treat and dispose of non-radioactive waste
• operate 'conventional' plant such as boilers and incinerators

In Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has similar responsibilities. However, SEPA is not taking part in the assessment process for new nuclear power stations.

Working together

Whilst the nuclear regulators have independent responsibilities and regulate within their own legal frameworks, we recognise the benefits of building on our close working relationship to align our processes and regulatory positions when we can.

For example, to enable us work together to assess new nuclear reactor designs, we have set up a joint programme co-ordination team and a joint programme office to plan and administer our joint assessment work..