The United Kingdom’s Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) as of Wednesday has complied with a 2015 regulatory demand that it improve management of higher-active radioactive waste at its Aldermaston site in Berkshire.
The U.K. Office for Nuclear Regulation issued the improvement notice in July 2015 because the Defense Ministry contractor had not met the terms of a license instrument mandating that it reduce in volume and encapsulate 1,000 drums of radioactive waste no later than Feb. 20, 2014. The regulatory agency demanded that AWE suggest measures by Sept. 30 of this year that would demonstrate a long-term plan for preventing risk to the public and Altermaston personnel “so far as reasonably practicable” from the management of higher-activity waste (HAW).
“AWE has now developed options for the management of HAW on the Aldermaston site which, if properly planned and implemented, will enable the risk to the health and safety of the public and employees to be reduced so far as reasonably practicable,” the Office for Nuclear Regulation said in a press release Wednesday. “In complying with the Improvement Notice, AWE has proposed activities that are focused on near term hazard reduction of the highest hazard waste packages and has committed to further demonstrate that the storage environment of the HAW inventory remains appropriate throughout the anticipated period of storage.”
The release did not provide details on the recommended activities.
Aldermaston, which provides research, design, and manufacturing in support of the U.K. nuclear deterrent. It is one of several government-owned sites operated by AWE, a partnership of Jacobs Engineering, Lockheed Martin, and the Serco Group.
AWE must now take steps to enact its submitted options for waste management, and the Office for Nuclear Regulation will monitor the implementation plan, according to the release.
“AWE has been working towards this long-term strategy to meet our HAW regulatory requirements since 2011,” AWE Site Director Haydn Clulow said in a separate statement. “This strategy accelerates waste hazard reduction at the Aldermaston site, with a corresponding risk reduction to the public, workers and environment.”
