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Our Ref: RSA/A/70088
Your Ref:
If telephoning ask for:
David Orr
15 May 2007
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Dear
THE RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES ACT 1993
CONSULTATION ON APPLICATION FROM ROSYTH ROYAL DOCKYARD LIMITED FOR AUTHORISATION TO DISPOSE OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is the body responsible for determining applications made under The Radioactive Substances Act 1993 (RSA93) for the disposal of radioactive waste on or from premises in Scotland. SEPA has received an application from Rosyth Royal Dockyard Limited (RRDL) for authorisation to dispose of radioactive waste from its premises at Rosyth Business Park, Rosyth, Fife.
The application relates to the transfer of contaminated metal to a processing facility in Sweden. It is proposed that the waste will be smelted and the recovered uncontaminated metal will be available for reuse. Radioactive contaminants removed during the smelting process and any secondary radioactive wastes such as filters will be returned to RRDL for subsequent disposal at the Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR) near Drigg in Cumbria. RRDL already holds an authorisation under RSA93 to send low level radioactive waste to the LLWR. Under RSA93 the transfer of radioactive waste from one site to another constitutes a disposal and this application has been made since no authorisation is in place to permit the disposal by transfer from RRDL to the processing facility in Sweden.
The transfer of waste to Sweden will also be subject to control under The Transfrontier Shipment of Radioactive Waste Regulations 1993 and no transfer will be permitted until approval has been granted by the competent authority in Sweden.
The radioactive waste in question is currently being accumulated on premises designated as a Nuclear Licensed Site under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965. When considering applications for the disposal of radioactive waste from such premises RSA93 requires SEPA to consult with such local authorities, relevant water bodies or other public or local authorities as appear to SEPA to be proper to be consulted. SEPA would welcome any comments you have to make on this application.
No decisions have yet been made on this application and no decisions will be made until all consultation comments have been considered. The enclosed consultation document contains a number of specific questions but we would ask you to make any comments which you think are relevant to this application.
The consultation period will close on 13 July 2007. Should you wish to comment please send comments to me in writing at the address given at the foot of this letter or by email. It is SEPA’s normal practice to make consultation responses publicly available: please make it clear in your response if you wish to have any part of your response withheld.
SEPA will begin determining the application once all comments have been considered. If SEPA decides it is appropriate to authorise this activity an authorisation will be granted. Copies of the authorisation and the decision document explaining SEPA’s decision will be sent to everyone who replies to this consultation and will be placed on SEPA’s website. If SEPA decides this application should be refused a copy of the decision document will be sent to everyone who replies to this consultation and a copy will be placed on SEPA’s website.
Yours
David Orr
Specialist, Radioactive Substances Unit
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