Radioactive Substances Series ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Application of BAT in UK Nuclear Facilities Report (UK’s Report on the Implementation of PARCOM Recommendation 91/4) OSPAR Commission 2005 OSPAR Commission, 2005: UK Report on Implementation of PARCOM Recommendation 91/4 on radioactive discharges The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (the “OSPAR Convention”) was opened for signature at the Ministerial Meeting of the former Oslo and Paris Commissions in Paris on 22 September 1992. The Convention entered into force on 25 March 1998. It has been ratified by Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom and approved by the European Community and Spain. La Convention pour la protection du milieu marin de l'Atlantique du Nord-Est, dite Convention OSPAR, a été ouverte à la signature à la réunion ministérielle des anciennes Commissions d'Oslo et de Paris, à Paris le 22 septembre 1992. La Convention est entrée en vigueur le 25 mars 1998. La Convention a été ratifiée par l'Allemagne, la Belgique, le Danemark, la Finlande, la France, l’Irlande, l’Islande, le Luxembourg, la Norvège, les Pays-Bas, le Portugal, le Royaume-Uni de Grande Bretagne et d’Irlande du Nord, la Suède et la Suisse et approuvée par la Communauté européenne et l’Espagne. © OSPAR Commission, 2005. Permission may be granted by the publishers for the report to be wholly or partly reproduced in publications provided that the source of the extract is clearly indicated. © Commission OSPAR, 2005. La reproduction de tout ou partie de ce rapport dans une publication peut être autorisée par l’Editeur, sous réserve que l’origine de l’extrait soit clairement mentionnée. ISBN 1-904426-70-0 Publication Number: 2005/241 2 OSPAR Commission, 2005: UK Report on Implementation of PARCOM Recommendation 91/4 on radioactive discharges 1 SUMMARY 8 2 INTRODUCTION 9 3 GENERAL INFORMATION 10 3.1 National legislation and basis for regulation 10 3.2 The application of BAT in UK legislation 11 3.3 Dose limit, constraints and discharge limit setting rationale 12 3.4 Regulation, surveillance and monitoring 14 3.5 Environmental monitoring programmes 14 3.6 Radiation dose assessment methods 15 3.7 Environmental norms and standards 15 3.8 Quality Assurance 16 3.9 References 16 4 FUEL MANUFACTURE 17 4.1 Capenhurst 17 4.1.1 Sources of liquid effluent 17 4.1.2 Liquid effluent treatment and abatement 17 4.1.3 Trends in discharge over the 1998-2003 period 17 4.1.4 Radiological impact of liquid discharges 18 4.1.5 The application of BAT 18 4.1.6 Comparison with performance of similar plants world-wide 18 4.2 Springfields 18 4.2.1 Sources of liquid effluent 18 4.2.2 Liquid effluent treatment and abatement 18 4.2.3 Trends in discharge over the 1998-2003 period 19 4.2.4 Radiological impact of liquid discharges 19 4.2.5 The application of BAT 19 4.2.6 Comparison with performance of similar plants world-wide 20 4.3 References 20 5 POWER GENERATION 20 5.1 Operational sites 21 5.1.1 Sources of liquid effluent 21 5.1.2 Fuel pond management 22 5.1.3 Gas dryer liquors 23 5.1.4 Particulate filters 23 5.1.5 Laundry (AGR and Magnox) 24 5.1.6 Magnox Dissolution Plant (MXD) 24 5.1.7 Liquid effluent treatment and discharge 24 5.1.8 Trends in discharge over the 1998-2003 period 25 5.1.9 Radiological impact of liquid discharges 26 5.1.10 The application of BAT 27 5.1.11 Comparison with performance of similar plants world-wide 29 5.2 Transitional sites 29 5.2.1 Sources of liquid effluent 29 5.2.2 Liquid effluent treatment and discharge 30 5.2.3 Trends in discharge over the 1998-2003 period 30 5.2.4 Radiological impact of liquid discharges 30 5.2.5 The application of BAT 30 5.2.6 Comparison with performance of similar plants world-wide 30 5.3 Decommissioning Power Stations 31 5.3.1 Sources of liquid effluent 31 5.3.2 Liquid effluent treatment and discharge 31 5.3.3 Trends in discharge over the 1999-2003 period 31 3 OSPAR Commission, 2005: UK Report on Implementation of PARCOM Recommendation 91/4 on radioactive discharges 5.3.4 Radiological impact of liquid discharges 31 5.3.5 The application of BAT 31 5.3.6 Comparison with performance of similar plants world-wide 32 5.4 References 32 6 FUEL REPROCESSING 32 6.1 Sellafield 32 6.1.1 Sources of liquid effluent 33 6.1.2 Liquid effluent treatment and abatement 33 6.1.3 Other treatment plants and projects 35 6.1.4 Treatment plants specific to THORP 35 6.1.5 Trends in discharge over the 1998-2003 period 35 6.1.6 Radiological impact of liquid discharges 36 6.1.7 The Application of BAT 37 6.1.8 Comparison with performance of similar plants world-wide 39 6.2 Low Level Waste Disposal Facility at Drigg, Cumbria 39 6.2.1 Sources of liquid effluent 39 6.2.2 Liquid effluent treatment and abatement 39 6.2.3 Trends in discharge over the 1998-2003 period 40 6.2.4 Radiological impact of liquid discharges 40 6.2.5 The application of BAT 40 6.2.6 Comparison with performance of similar plants world-wide 40 6.3 Calder Hall 40 6.4 References 40 7 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 41 7.1 Dounreay 41 7.1.1 Sources of liquid effluent 42 7.1.2 Liquid effluent treatment and discharges 42 7.1.3 Trends in discharge over the 1998-2003 period 42 7.1.4 Radiological impact of liquid discharges 42 7.1.5 Particles on the Dounreay foreshore 43 7.1.6 The application of BAT 43 7.1.7 Comparison with performance of similar plants world-wide 43 7.2 Harwell 43 7.2.1 Sources of liquid effluent 43 7.2.2 Liquid effluent treatment and discharges 44 7.2.3 Trends in discharge over the 1998-2003 period 44 7.2.4 Radiological impact of liquid discharges 44 7.2.5 The application of BAT 44 7.2.6 Comparison with performance of similar plants world-wide 45 7.3 Windscale 45 7.3.1 Sources of liquid effluent 45 7.3.2 Liquid effluent treatment and discharges 45 7.3.3 Trends in discharge over the 1998-2003 period 45 7.3.4 Radiological impact of liquid discharges 46 7.3.5 The application of BAT at UKAEA Windscale 46 7.3.6 Comparison with performance of similar plants worldwide 46 7.4 Winfrith 46 7.4.1 Sources of liquid effluent 46 7.4.2 Liquid effluent treatment and discharges 46 7.4.3 Trends in discharge over the 1998-2003 period 46 7.4.4 Radiological impact of liquid discharges 46 7.4.5 The application of BAT at UKAEA Winfrith 46 4 OSPAR Commission, 2005: UK Report on Implementation of PARCOM Recommendation 91/4 on radioactive discharges 7.4.6 Comparison with performance of similar plants world-wide 47 7.5 References 47 8 RADIOISOTOPE MANUFACTURE 47 8.1 GE Healthcare, Amersham (Grove Centre) 48 8.1.1 Sources of liquid effluent 48 8.1.2 Liquid effluent treatment and discharges 48 8.1.3 Trends in discharge over the 1998-2003 period 48 8.1.4 Radiological impact of liquid discharges 48 8.1.5 The application of BAT 48 8.1.6 Comparison with performance of similar plants world-wide 49 8.2 GE Healthcare, Cardiff (Maynard Centre) 49 8.2.1 Sources of liquid effluent 49 8.2.2 Liquid effluent treatment and discharges 49 8.2.3 Trends in discharge over the 1998-2003 period 49 8.2.4 Radiological impact of liquid discharges 49 8.2.5 The application of BAT 49 8.2.6 Comparison with performance of similar plants world-wide 51 8.3 References 51 9 THE DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF BAT 51 9.1 Technologies in use or under development in the UK 51 9.1.1 Filtration 51 9.1.2 Caustic scrubbers 52 9.1.3 Ion exchange and adsorption 52 9.1.4 Hydrocyclone centrifuge 53 9.1.5 Electrochemical and electrophysical processes 53 9.2 International reports related to BAT 54 9.2.1 The NEA EGRO Report 54 9.2.2 IAEA-TECDOC 1336 55 9.2.3 Materials with combined properties 55 9.2.4 Combined single-stage processes 55 9.2.5 Combined multi-stage processes 56 9.3 Conclusions 56 9.4 References 56 10 ACRONYMS 56 Figures Figure 1. UK Nuclear Licensed Sites 9 Figure 2. 99Tc Discharges to Sea 36 Figure 3. 14C Discharges to Sea and Air Following Introduction of Caustic Scrubbers 36 Tables Table 1. Operational status of power stations in the UK 21 Table 2. Operational Magnox Station Abatement Techniques 29 Table 3. Normalised Liquid Discharges from Nuclear Reactors 29 Table 4. Abatement Techniques at Transitional Magnox Stations 30 Table 5. Decommissioning Magnox Abatement Techniques 31 Table 6. Volume of waste disposed to Drigg 1998-2003 39 Table 7. Amersham targets for reduction of 3H and 14C discharges 50 Table 8. BNFL/URENCO Capenhurst, Site Characteristics 59 Table 9. BNFL/URENCO Capenhurst, Discharge Data 59 Table 10. BNFL/URENCO Capenhurst, Environmental Impact 59 Table 11. BNFL/URENCO Capenhurst, Radiation Doses to the Public 60 Table 12.