Commission Opinion

of 26 November 2002

concerning the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the operation of the MOX Demonstration Facility at Sellafield located in the United Kingdom, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty

(2002/C 292/05)

(only the English text is authentic)

On 8 May 2002, the European Commission received from the Government of the United Kingdom, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, general data relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the operation of the MOX Demonstration Facility at Sellafield.

On the basis of these data, 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 Ireland, is approximately 180 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 significant from the point of view of health.

(c) Plutonium contaminated materials are stored at the site. Low-level radioactive wastes are stored at the site before being transported off-site for disposal in facilities within the UK.

(d) In the event of unplanned discharges of radioactive waste, which may follow an accident of the type and magnitude 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 in whatever form arising from the operation of the MOX Demonstration Facility at Sellafield in the United Kingdom, 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 radioactive contamination, significant from the point of view of health, of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State.