Discharge reductions—value for money?

Abstract

Through the Nuclear Liabilities Management Authority White Paper, the UKGovernment and the Regulators have signalled a commitment to further improving theoperation of the regulatory regime and to its operating within the principles ofproportionality, transparency, consistency and accountability which underpin theGovernment’s approach to regulation in general. Particular emphasis is placed uponensuring that there is greater consistency in the treatment of risk and hazard;proportionate and cost effective delivery of public, worker and environmental protection;and an open and transparently applied regulatory system. The paper uses thehistorical record of radioactive discharges from BNFL’s Sellafield reprocessingsite in the UK and seeks to identify what have been the key drivers for change,particularly over the past 20 years of significant discharge reductions. The paperexamines the current context for ongoing and future discharges from the site, and theincorporation of the use of the concepts of best practicable environmental option andbest practicable means. Intergovernmental commitments such as the OSPARSintra and Bremen statements and the developing UK policy framework are alsoconsidered, together with BNFL’s work with a wide range of ‘green’ stakeholders. Thepaper outlines the principal components of BNFL’s decision-making processes fordischarge control and abatement; and how these interact with the relevant externalpressures. It then analyses whether the overall drivers and outcomes align with thedeclared desire of the UK Government to ensure that the taxpayer receives value formoney in the new national arrangements for managing historic nuclear liabilities.