Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Nuclear
LLC reports
This report is issued as part of the Health and Safety Executive's commitment to make information about inspection and regulatory activities relating to the above site available to the public. It is for distribution to members of the Amersham plc, Maynard Centre Local Liaison Committee (LLC) and covers activities associated with the regulation of safety at the site. These reports are distributed quarterly. Site Inspectors of HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate attend LLC meetings and will be happy to respond to questions raised there by members of the LLC. Any other person wishing to inquire about matters covered by this report should contact the HSE, Nuclear Directorate Information Centre on 0151 - 951 - 4103.
Inspection visits were made to the Maynard Centre site on 30 - 31 January, 12 - 13 February and 27 - 28 March 2002.
As mentioned in last quarter's report a radioactive liquid waste management strategy document covering both current and historic wastes has been received from Amersham. In January a meeting was held at site to discuss the document. The strategy is principally based upon using recycling technology to deal with both carbon - 14 and tritium liquid wastes, the primary choice being Project Paragon planned to be operational in 2004. In the period until the Paragon plant becomes operational Amersham will continue, as at present to accumulate some liquid wastes on site. If the Paragon plant does not meet its design intent then alternative waste management methods will have to be employed but NII has indicated previously to Amersham that it is not content to allow the unlimited storage of liquid waste on the site. NII informed Amersham at the meeting that it will use powers under the nuclear site licence (licence condition 32) to restrict the total activity of radioactive liquid wastes that can be accumulated on the site. This limit will be imposed in the next quarter and will be set so as to give Amersham a realistic timescale for getting the Paragon plant operating.
3. A tripartite meeting of NII, Environment Agency and Amersham was held on the site to discuss Amersham's liquid waste strategy and the further withholding of some tritiated liquid wastes.
A meeting was held with the Environment Agency inspector to discuss areas of mutual interest regarding Amersham's application for a variation to the Maynard Centre discharge authorisation.
The site inspector attended a meeting at Whitchurch High School organised by the Environment Agency to present to the public it's preliminary proposals for the revised discharge authorisation for the Maynard Centre site.
Routine inspection of plant was carried out to the inspection plan and covered the following; tritium operations, waste management, control of nuclear material and Project Paragon progress.
Following the three minor skin contamination events reported in last quarter's report discussions have been held and plant visits made to consider Amersham's short and longer term plans to minimise the potential for worker contamination. Amersham has undertaken a number of priority actions including; changing working practices, changing the management structure and improving control and supervision. The site inspector is of the opinion that the measures taken by Amersham should contribute to the overall improvement of the safety of operations.
No statutory reportable radiological incidents have been notified to the NII during the quarter.
No legal instruments were issued during the quarter.
Published on the HSE web site 16 July 2002