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Power Generation and the Environment - a UK Perspective

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Power Generation and the Environment - a UK Perspective AEAT 3776 Power Generation and the Environment - a UK Perspective Volume 1 June 1998 Power Generation and the Environment - a UK Perspective Volume 1 June 1998 Title Power Generation and the Environment - a UK Perspective, Vol 1 Customer European Commission DGXII Customer reference JOS3-CT95-0010 Confidentiality, This document has been prepared by AEA Technology plc in copyright and connection with a contract to supply goods and/or services. Neither reproduction AEA Technology nor any person acting on behalf of AEA Technology is responsible for the use which might be made of the contents. File reference g:/etsu/ebsd/18715001/finreps/jacquie/uknatl5.doc Report number AEAT 3776 Report status Issue 1 Dr J E Berry AEA Technology Environment E6, Culham Abingdon Oxfordshire, OX14 3DB UK Telephone +44 1235 463748 Facsimile +44 1235 463005 AEA Technology is the trading name of AEA Technology plc AEA Technology is certificated to BS EN ISO9001:(1994) Name Signature Date Authors J E Berry, M R Holland P R Watkiss, R Boyd W Stephenson Reviewed by M R Holland Approved by G P Marsh AEAT 3776 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work has been undertaken as part of the ExternE Project and the authors would like to thank the many people who have contributed to this project. We thank them for the provision of data and for the many helpful discussions which have taken place during the course of the project. The authors would like to thank the European Commission for the financial support for the project from the JOULE Programme and the UK Department of Trade and Industry, the UK Environment Agency, Nuclear Electric and Magnox Electric for their interest and the cofunding received. In addition, we would like to thank Adrian da Costa at BITOR Europe Ltd and Alan Kite, BNFL for the provision of information and data for the Orimulsion and nuclear fuel cycles, respectively. AEA Technology TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................1 1.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT.........................................................................................................................1 1.2 PUBLICATIONS FROM THE PROJECT ................................................................................................................2 1.3 STRUCTURE OF THIS REPORT .........................................................................................................................3 1.4 DESCRIPTION OF THE UK ELECTRICITY SECTOR AND UK NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION ..................................3 2. METHODOLOGY......................................................................................................................................5 2.1 APPROACHES USED FOR EXTERNALITY ANALYSIS ..........................................................................................5 2.2 GUIDING PRINCIPLES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EXTERNE METHODOLOGY...............................................7 2.3 DEFINING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE ANALYSIS...............................................................................................8 2.3.1 Stages of the fuel chain ........................................................................................................................8 2.3.2 Location of fuel chain activities ...........................................................................................................9 2.3.3 Identification of fuel chain technologies.............................................................................................10 2.3.4 Identification of fuel chain burdens....................................................................................................10 2.3.5 Identification of impacts ....................................................................................................................11 2.3.6 Valuation criteria...............................................................................................................................11 2.3.7 Spatial limits of the impact analysis ...................................................................................................12 2.3.8 Temporal limits of the impact analysis ...............................................................................................12 2.4 ANALYSIS OF IMPACT PATHWAYS................................................................................................................13 2.4.1 Prioritisation of impacts ....................................................................................................................13 2.4.2 Description of priority impact pathways.............................................................................................15 2.4.3 Quantification of burdens ..................................................................................................................17 2.4.4 Description of the receiving environment ...........................................................................................18 2.4.5 Quantification of impacts...................................................................................................................19 2.4.6 Economic valuation ...........................................................................................................................21 2.4.7 Assessment of uncertainty ..................................................................................................................21 2.5 PRIORITY IMPACTS ASSESSED IN THE EXTERNE PROJECT .............................................................................22 2.5.1 Fossil technologies ............................................................................................................................22 2.5.2 Nuclear technologies .........................................................................................................................22 2.5.3 Renewable technologies .....................................................................................................................23 2.5.4 Related issues ....................................................................................................................................23 2.6 SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................................................23 3. COAL FUEL CYCLE ...............................................................................................................................25 3.1 REFERENCE TECHNOLOGIES AND LOCATIONS...............................................................................................25 3.2 OVERVIEW OF BURDENS..............................................................................................................................26 3.2.1 Atmospheric emissions .......................................................................................................................27 3.2.2 Emissions to water .............................................................................................................................30 3.2.3 Composition of solid wastes ...............................................................................................................33 3.2.4 Other emissions related to the coal fuel cycle ....................................................................................33 3.2.5 Occupational health and accidents ....................................................................................................33 3.2.6 Public accidents.................................................................................................................................34 3.3 SELECTION OF PRIORITY IMPACTS ...............................................................................................................34 3.4 QUANTIFICATION OF IMPACTS AND DAMAGES ..............................................................................................34 3.4.1 Public health impacts.........................................................................................................................34 3.4.2 Occupational health impacts..............................................................................................................35 3.4.3 Effects of atmospheric pollution on crops...........................................................................................35 3.4.4 Forests...............................................................................................................................................36 3.4.5 Other ecosystems ...............................................................................................................................37 AEAT 3776 3.4.6 Acidic deposition on fisheries ............................................................................................................37 3.4.7 Building materials .............................................................................................................................38 3.4.8 Noise .................................................................................................................................................38 3.4.9 Global warming .................................................................................................................................39 3.4.10 Other impacts ..................................................................................................................................39 3.5 INTERPRETATION
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