RWMAC report on MoD radioactive waste practices

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 On 23 June 1999, the Minister for the Environment, Michael Meacher, following consultation with his Ministerial colleagues, including those responsible for defence, commissioned RWMAC to carry out a review of the Ministry of Defence's (MoD's) radioactive waste management practices.

1.2 RWMAC's terms of reference restrict the Committee to consideration of civil radioactive waste management issues. But, from time to time, as in this case, RWMAC has been specifically requested to review issues relating to radioactive wastes produced by MoD (a convenient term for which, used in this document, is "defence wastes"). The Committee's last full examination of MoD radioactive waste management practices was published in 1997¹.

1.3 A major purpose of this latest study is to review and comment on the progress that has been made in the management of defence wastes during the period since the last study was published - thereby effectively updating it. Secondly, the review aims to identify the possibilities for further general management improvements. Thirdly, it addresses problems (and suggests possible solutions) in relation to specific areas of MoD waste-producing activities, including the nuclear weapons and naval nuclear propulsion programmes, as well as the operation of major MoD nuclear sites, and other areas where radioactive materials are used.

1.4 It was agreed with Ministers that this latest review should include consideration of MoD's arrangements for dealing with radioactively contaminated land within the defence estate. The study on MoD radioactively contaminated land was carried out as the first part of the current work and a report was published in August 2000². While this report considers the much wider range of issues raised by MoD's overall arrangements for managing defence wastes, RWMAC's conclusions on MoD's arrangements for dealing with radioactively contaminated land continue to stand.

1.5 The advice sent out in this report was submitted to Ministers in May 2001.