Linkage Between Post-Closure Safety Case Review and the Authorization Process for Radioactive Waste Disposal Facilities

The Environment Agency (the Agency) has responsibilities under the Radioactive Substances Act of 1993 for regulating the disposal and storage of radioactive wastes in England and Wales, including regulation of the disposal site for UK solid low-level waste (LLW) at Drigg in Cumbria, NW England. To help inform the next review of the Drigg disposal authorization, the Agency has required the operator, British Nuclear Fuels plc to submit a Post-Closure Safety Case which will assess the potential long-term impacts from the site. With the aim of using best practice to determine authorization conditions, the Agency contracted Galson Sciences, Ltd to undertake an international survey of authorization procedures for comparable facilities in other countries. This paper provides an overview of the findings from the international survey