Commission opinion

of 20 December 2000

concerning the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste from the commissioning of the liquid metal disposal plant (LMDP) and the waste receipt, assay, characterisation and supercompaction facility (WRACS) located on the Dounreay nuclear site in Scotland (United Kingdom), in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty

(2001/C 20/03)

(Only the English text is authentic)

On 8 June 2000 the European Commission received from the United Kingdom Government, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, general data relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste resulting from the commissioning of the liquid metal disposal plant (LMDP) and the waste receipt, assay, characterisation and supercompaction facility (WRACS).

On the basis of these data and clarifications subsequently provided by the United Kingdom Government, and following consultation with the group of experts, the Commission has drawn up the following opinion:

(a) The distance between the plant and the nearest point of another Member State, in this case Denmark (Faeroe Islands), is approximately 370 km;

(b) Under normal operating conditions, the discharges of liquid and gaseous effluents will not cause an exposure of the population in other Member States that is significant from the point of view of health;

(c) Solid low and intermediate level radioactive waste arising from the operations of the LMDP and WRACS will be stored on-site. Off-site movement of waste is not currently envisaged;

(d) In the event of unplanned discharges of radioactive waste, which may follow an accident on the scale considered in the General Data, the doses likely to be received by the population in other Member States would not be significant from the point of view of health.

In conclusion, the Commission is of the opinion that the implementation of the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste, resulting from the commissioning of the liquid metal disposal plant (LMDP) and the waste receipt, assay, characterisation and supercompaction facility (WRACS), both in normal operation and in the event of an accident of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, is not liable to result in the radioactive contamination, significant from the point of view of health, of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State.