Radioactive waste management at BNFL Sellafield

Reprocessing of metallic uranium fuel began at Sellafield in the early 1950s. In excess of 30000 t U has been reprocessed to date. From the present until completion of the Magnox program in 2005-2006 about 20000 t U will be reprocessed. Radioactive wastes generated from reprocessing operations are either stored as before at Sellafield in their raw, untreated state or have been disposed of to the Drigg facility some 6.5 km south-east of Sellafield. Until 1982 certain waste was disposed of in deep ocean under the auspices of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. Additional quantities of waste, but of the same general type as that from Magnox reprocessing, will be generated over the period 1992-2002 when 6000 t U of oxide fuel from the UK's AGRs and overseas LWRs will be reprocessed in THORP (Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant). 1 fig