Radioactive waste
SEPA is responsible for regulating the disposal of
radioactive waste from all sites and it's storage on non nuclear
sites. This page tells you about the different levels of
radioactive waste and how it is currently stored.
Different levels of waste
There are three types of radioactive waste that must be stored
or disposed of in Scotland and the UK. These are low level,
intermediate and high level waste.
Low level waste accounts for about 90% of solid radioactive
waste produced (by volume) in the UK. It is generally made up of
everyday materials, such as plastics, glass, metals and paper,
which have come into contact with radioactive liquids or powders.
While most of it comes from the nuclear industry, it is also
produced by non-nuclear industries, such as hospitals and
universities.
Of the remainder, nearly 10% of waste is intermediate and 0.1%
high level. Although a relatively small volume, high level waste
contains over 95% of the total radioactivity of all nuclear wastes.
It is therefore vital that all waste produced as a result of
nuclear activity is safely stored and disposed of.
In September 2001, the UK Government launched a public
consultation called "Managing Radioactive Waste Safely". One key
outcomes of the consultation was a decision by UK Government to set
up the independent Committee on Radioactive Waste Management
(CoRWM) in November 2003:
For specific information on high, intermediate and low level
waste, visit: