HPA News

The Health Protection Agency announces its advice on protecting the public from the disposal of solid radioactive waste.The recommendations are made to help ensure that future generations are put at no greater risk from solid radioactive waste than today’s public.

The Agency recommends that measures are taken to ensure that any potential radiation exposure arising from the disposal of solid radioactive waste during the operationally active stage of a disposal site is as low as reasonably achievable – and certainly below a maximum of 0.15 mSv per year. The average annual dose that a person receives from natural radiation is 2.2 mSv.

After closure, the Agency recommends that the estimated risk of the disposal site causing serious ill health to anyone over the next million years or so should be below a maximum of one in 100,000 per year. The risks to individuals would therefore be extremely low.

The Agency also advises that the highest estimated doses to people who unintentionally disturb a ‘near surface’ disposal site should be below a guidance level of between 3 and 20 mSv per year, depending on the duration of exposure.

No corresponding dose guidance level is advised for unintentional intrusion into a deep disposal site as these facilities are considered relatively secure.

The Health Protection Agency report updates advice given in 1992 by the then National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), now part of the Agency. It is intended as an aid to risk assessment during the planning stages of new solid radioactive waste disposal sites, or new ‘phases’ of existing sites.

HPA Chief Executive, Justin McCracken, said: “This is an important report at a time of increasing interest in nuclear power and in the safe disposal of radioactive waste. Given the long half life of some radioactive waste, the principle behind the advice is that people in the future should have the same level of protection as people have today.”