Decommissioning, fuel and waste

The Decommissioning, Fuel and Waste Programme, headed by Deputy Chief Inspector Derek Lacey, regulates safety on a variety of nuclear fuel sites, including fuel cycle, nuclear research, waste management and decommissioning sites.  It is divided into four sub-programmes: Decommissioning and Radioactive Waste Strategy and Policy; decommissioning and defueled Magnox power stations; restoration sites and commercial sites.

Decommissioning/defueled power stations

Bradwell, Berkeley, Dungeness A, Trawsfyndd, Hunterston A and Hinkley Point A (all Magnox Ltd reactor sites). Other Magnox reactor sites currently being defueled are covered by the Civil Nuclear Reactors Programme.

Restoration sites

• Dounreay Sites Restoration Limited
• Research Sites Restoration Ltd Harwell
• Winfrith.

Commercial sites

• Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR)
• Metals Recycling Facility (MRF) Studsvik
• Springfields Fuels Ltd, Urenco UK Ltd
• Sellafield Capenhurst
• Imperial College reactor centre
• GE Healthcare Amersham and Cardiff.

All Magnox Ltd stations, restoration sites and several commercial sites are owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) on behalf of the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC).  The Programme interfaces with the NDA Strategy, including on decommissioning, spent fuels, plutonium disposition and waste policy with DECC and Scottish Government.

We engage with Governments, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and other stakeholders to ensure that appropriate and adequate decommissioning and radioactive waste management policies and strategies are developed, and that they meet international nuclear safety and security standards.

The focus of the programme is:

• regulating the specific and significant nuclear hazards and risks associated with the decommissioning, radioactive waste management and nuclear fuel cycle sector.
• ensuring ONR’s statutory legal duties are discharged recognising the hazard potential of the installations/operations in a proportionate, integrated, consistent and transparent way.
• utilising specialist inspection knowledge towards developing further regulatory guidance for the sector and making decisions through the application of relevant good practice and within an approach of continuous improvement. 
• recognising that progress with decommissioning and waste management may require new approaches and innovative solutions and drawing upon the wider nuclear research community and international experience towards informing the regulatory approach. 
• recognising the magnitude of the decommissioning task and avoiding  unacceptable future legacy situations.
• regulating activities including interim positions that will ultimately secure the achievement of satisfactory final site end states and de-licencing through removal of the radiological hazard.