The management of radioactive wastes at BNFL, Sellafield

BNFL's policy for managing radioactive waste at its Sellafield site is to minimise effluent discharges to the environment, to dispose safely solid low level waste as it arises and to provide safe and cost effective methods for storing, treating and preparing for disposal all other wastes. In pursuance of this policy BNFL has progressively and significantly reduced activity levels in liquid effluent discharges and is building a new actinide removal plant. BNFL has also designed, built and is currently operating intermediate and high level waste treatment plants; further plants for intermediate and low level wastes are under construction. The strategy employed for waste management is described in this paper together with its development against a background of statutory legislation and increasing public awareness. (author)