Best practicable means (BPM) and as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP) in action atSellafield**Presentation to SRP Meeting ‘ALARP: Principles and Practices’, Oxford, 2–4 April2003.

Abstract

Operators within the UK nuclear industry are required to employ ‘best practicable means’(BPM) to control and minimise radioactive discharges. The requirement for the use ofBPM is in order to ensure that doses from discharges are as low as reasonably practicable(ALARP). This facet is increasingly becoming the principal feature of dischargeauthorisations issued by the Environment Agencies under the Radioactive SubstancesAct, 1993 (RSA 93), which are enforceable by law. It is important to state atthe outset, however, that scientific assessments to date indicate that there areno expectations of environmental harm from authorised discharges, even wherethose discharges have historically been up to two orders of magnitude higherthan current levels. There is also no evidence to indicate that foreseeable futuredischarges from the Sellafield site will make any contribution to environmental harm.