Government policy on managing very low level waste advocates a more flexible approach and introduces the option to dispose of this type of waste in appropriate landfill sites.
All organisations dealing with radioactive materials produce some waste fitting the definition of very low level waste and this typically includes paper, cloth, plastics, wood, filters, rubble, soil and metals.
The Government document 'Policy for the Long Term Management of Solid Low Level Radioactive Waste in the United Kingdom' categorises very low level waste as being either low or high volume. All very low level waste disposals from nuclear-licensed sites are categorised as 'high volume'. High Volume Very Low Level Waste is defined as waste with maximum radioactive concentrations of 4MBq/te, and this is disposed of at specified landfill sites. The concentration limit for tritium within the waste is 40MBq/te. The environmental regulators specify procedures for final disposal after the waste has been removed from where it originated.
The radioactive concentration of very low level waste is similar to the natural activity of soils and is well within the normal range of natural radioactivity in the Earth's crust. A cubic metre bag of 'low volume' very low level waste contains less radioactivity than ten domestic smoke detectors.
LLW Repository Ltd has completed a Strategic Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO) for high volume very low level waste. This study identifies how we intend to deal with this type of waste. In addition to the practice of recycling and reusing very low level waste, such as demolition rubble, the options for disposal include:
At LLW Repository Ltd, we are developing our strategy for managing this waste with the aim of providing a disposal service for our customers in line with national policy and strategy.