Radioactive contaminated land

ONR is responsible for the regulation of radioactively contaminated land on Nuclear Licensed sites.

How ONR defines radioactively contaminated land

ONR defines 'radioactively contaminated land' as land containing radioactive contamination that would preclude ONR giving notice in writing that in its opinion there ceases/has ceased to be any danger from ionising radiations on site, or part of the site. 

There are a significant number of instances of radioactively contaminated ground on nuclear licensed sites. This contamination is the result of a combination of new and historical incidents involving spillage or leakage, or from placement in the ground.  However, the first step in good land management is to prevent the contamination of the ground and groundwater by preventing leakages to ground. How ONR regulates radioactively contaminated land and our expectations

The Nuclear Installations Act 1965 (as amended) (NIA65) and The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and the regulations made under it such as the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999, together give the ONR considerable powers to regulate safety on nuclear sites.  

ONR has the responsibility to regulate the accumulation, storage, conditioning and retrieval of radioactive material including radioactive waste on the site, which encompasses that in the ground.

Unless it is an authorised disposal, radioactively contaminated ground (or emplaced radioactive material)  on a nuclear licensed site represents an accumulation of nuclear matter. It should be managed as such by the licensee who is responsible for managing all the radioactive material and waste on the site and for demonstrating that it is being appropriately dealt with.

The NIA65 enables ONR to attach Conditions to the site licence in the interest of nuclear safety or the handling, treatment or disposal of nuclear matter and radioactive waste which includes radioactively contaminated land. These Conditions can be added to or varied at any time.  They apply equally to all stages of the life of the site from initial work through operations, to decommissioning and site remediation.  A breach of a Licence Condition is an offence under Section 4(6) of NIA65, and ONR would expect the licensee to manage the radioactively contaminated ground in accordance with the conditions of the site licence.

ONR expects licensees to demonstrate that they are managing radioactively contaminated ground in compliance with the requirements of all the Licence Conditions.  The Licence Conditions require licensees to control or contain radioactive materials and radioactive waste, to record the amount of radioactive material  and radioactive waste and its location, and to justify and demonstrate the adequacy of the arrangements to maintain safety by means of a safety case.  The Safety Assessment Principles for Nuclear Facilities (SAPs) set out the basic principles for the management of radioactively contaminated land.

ONR  interact with nuclear licensees and stakeholders  and work closely with the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) with the aim of achieving effective, consistent and comprehensive regulation while avoiding conflicting requirements being placed on licensees.  Memoranda of Understanding ensure that ONR consults the Environment Agency or SEPA.  Environment Agency and SEPA regulate the disposal of radioactive waste and certain aspects of the keeping and use of radioactive sources on nuclear licensed  sites.