Radioactive waste sent to wrong site

SELLAFIELD Limited mistakenly sent several bags of radioactive waste to a landfill site, rather than a special facility.

The company admitted the offence at Workington Magistrates’ Court yesterday. Sentencing will take place at Carlisle Crown Court on March 8.

Four bags of mixed general waste, such as plastic, paper, tissues, clothing, wood and metal, from normal operations in controlled areas of the site, were sent to Lillyhall landfill site, in Workington.

But they should have been sent to the low level waste repository, at Drigg, Cumbria – a specialist facility that treats and stores low level radioactive waste consignments.

Sellafield found the error was caused by a new monitor which had passed the bags as “general” waste making them exempt from strict disposal controls. They were later retrieved and returned to Sellafield for correct disposal.

Monitoring carried out by a number of organisations, including the Environment Agency, Waste Group Recycling and Sellafield Limited, confirmed there was no contamination left at the site or on the landfill equipment.

The company was prosecuted by nuclear regulators Environment Agency and the Office for Nuclear Regulation.

Ian Parker, nuclear regulation manager for the Environment Agency, said: “Our overriding aim in regulating the nuclear industry is to protect people and the environment from the release of radioactive wastes into the environment.

“We have carried out a thorough investigation in partnership with the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and have already required Sellafield Ltd to take action to ensure this does not happen again.

“This work of decommissioning and clean-up of the site is a national priority and we will continue to work with Sellafield Ltd, fellow regulators and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to ensure that, in meeting this challenge, Sellafield Ltd maintains high standards of environmental performance to protect people and the environment.”

Ian Barlow from the Office for Nuclear Regulation, said: “We require the nuclear industry to control its hazards and ensure it has effective procedures in place for transporting and disposing of all forms of waste.

“Where necessary, we will use enforcement action to protect people and society from the hazards of the nuclear industry.”