Research Sites Restoration Limited (RSRL) Harwell site report - Q2 2009

Harwell Chilton campus local stakeholder group quarterly report for 1 April to 30 June 2009

Inspections
Routine matters
Non-routine matters
Regulatory activity

Foreword

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 Harwell Chilton Campus Local Stakeholder Group (LSG) and covers activities associated with the regulation of safety at the RSRL Harwell nuclear licensed site. These reports are distributed quarterly. The Site Inspectors of HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) normally attend LSG meetings and will be happy to respond to questions raised there by members of the LSG.

This report will be put onto the HSE web site at www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/llc.

Nuclear Safety Directorate
Health and Safety Executive
Redgrave Court
Merton Road
Bootle
Merseyside
L20 7HS

Inspections

The NII Site Inspector visited the Harwell site on the following dates for this reporting period:

15th - 17th June 2009

Further interactions with the Licensee were progressed by videoconference.

Routine matters

The NII Site Inspector has regulated nuclear safety on the site in support of ND's mission to protect people and society from the hazards of the nuclear industry through a programme of planned compliance inspections against Licence Conditions (LCs) attached to the Nuclear Site Licence and targeted interventions supporting regulatory oversight.

Events on the site LC 7

No significant events concerning nuclear safety have occurred. The Licensee has investigated a minor incident involving construction on the Site relating to a gas main and has implemented additional measures to address this issue.

Decommissioning LC 35

The scope of decommissioning work on the site has reduced in comparison to previous years but the Licensee continues to undertake decommissioning activities in support of its long term objective to remediate the site. The Inspector's focus has moved to overseeing the Licensee's activities in demonstrating the long term safe care and maintenance of facilities.

Control of organisational change LC 36

Inspection and discussions with the Licensee have identified no significant issues compromising nuclear safety attributable to the Site's recent re-licensing from the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to RSRL.

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Non-routine matters

De-licensing

Discussions were held with the Licensee over proposals to de-license land held within the Nuclear Site Licensed boundary. The Licensee has identified 3 specific areas it wishes to have de-licensed with one safety justification having been submitted to the NII for assessment and a further two cases in preparation.

Proposed changes to the status of HSE's Nuclear Directorate

The Government has put forward proposals to change the status of HSE's Nuclear Directorate (ND) to that of a Statutory Corporation under the auspices of the HSE. This is intended to enable ND, as the independent nuclear regulator of safety and security, to better meet the challenges of a changing nuclear industry over the coming years. The changes are to provide the nuclear regulator with greater flexibility and increase the accountability, transparency and openness of nuclear regulation. The Government is proposing that the statutory changes needed to bring this about will be made by a Legislative Reform Order (LRO).

This builds on the outcome of the Government initiated review of the UK's nuclear regulatory regime, led by Dr Tim Stone. The Summary Recommendations and the Government's response were published at the end of January 2009 (available on HSE's website: http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/stonereview.htm ).

A public consultation, run by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), on the LRO was launched on June 30th for a 12 week period, which gives the opportunity for stakeholders to comment on the proposals.

For access to this consultation please see http://decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/hse_restruct/hse_restruct.aspx
These new arrangements will not change the substance or standards of regulation or compromise the independence of the nuclear regulatory body, and will not affect the decisions it takes or the international obligations the Government requires it to meet.

Subject to the outcome of the consultation and Parliamentary approval, and if the Parliamentary timetable permits, the aim is to bring the new body into being during 2010.

An internal change programme is currently operating within ND to ensure that the ND is ready to operate as a statutory corporation from spring 2010.

This programme does not in anyway compromise the current regulatory activities of ND.

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Regulatory activity

NII has powers under Nuclear Site Licence Number 84 to issue Consents, Approvals and Directions. In addition, NII can issue Notifications, Specifications, Acknowledgements and Agreements under the conditions attached to the Licence, or under arrangements made by RSRL for complying with those conditions. These are known as Licence Instruments. No Licence Instruments were issued to RSRL Harwell during the period.