Independent monitoring of solid low level radioactive waste disposals in the UK

The independent monitoring of solid low level radioactive waste (LLW) disposals in England and Wales is undertaken by Taywood Environmental Consultancy (TEC) on behalf of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution (HMIP). To ensure that LLW disposals are within authorised limits, as defined in the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, consignments of waste are seized by HMIP before disposal and the contents are assessed by TEC. Waste consignments are transported to the Waste Quality Checking Laboratory (WQCL) operated by TEC at Winfrith in Dorset where they are analysed by both destructive and non-destructive testing. The testing performed at the laboratory is encompassed by a NAMAS accredited quality system and all test results are reported to HMIP. This paper outlines the work of the laboratory and describes some of the techniques used for radioactive waste assessment. (Author)