This section contains information about our regulation of the nuclear industry.
A complex industry surrounds nuclear power stations, to manage and support their work. It includes businesses that make fuel for power stations and those managing the radioactive waste they produce.
As well as power stations we also have nuclear reactors powering Royal Navy submarines and some nuclear weapons are also manufactured in the UK.
There are 32 licensed nuclear sites in England and Wales. They are regularly inspected by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (an agency of HSE), who are in charge of regulating all aspects of nuclear safety on them.
Our role and responsibilities
We oversee how the 32 sites dispose of their radioactive waste by granting site permits to the operators who run them.
Operators of these sites must have a permit from us to dispose of their waste. These permits set out limits and conditions on the amount and way they dispose of their waste and cover all radioactive waste disposals including discharges to air and water, and transfers of wastes for incineration or disposal to land.
It is also our responsibility to check-up on sites to ensure they're not exceeding their limits and releasing as little radioactive waste as possible into the environment.
Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010 (EPR2010)
New Environmental Permitting Regulations were introduced on 6 April 2010. They repeal the Radioactive Substances Regulations 1993 in England and Wales only. Arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland will stay as they are.
Environment Agencies' statement on Radioactive Waste Advisors and associated guidance
Radioactive Waste Advisers (RWA) are specialists in radioactive waste disposal and environmental radiation protection who have demonstrated competence in the Radioactive Waste Adviser syllabus.
There is a requirement under European law for people who keep or use radioactive material, or who accumulate or dispose of radioactive waste, to appoint advisers, known as “qualified experts”, to advise them on radiological protection. In the UK we call the qualified expert for radioactive waste management and environmental radiation protection a 'Radioactive Waste Adviser'.
The environment agencies in the UK - we, alongside the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), require anyone who is permitted or authorised to accumulate or dispose of radioactive waste to appoint a Radioactive Waste Adviser. We have now set out:
- how we will comply with our legal responsibilities relating to qualified experts as required by European legislation
- our expectations of Radioactive Waste Advisers
- and how a UK-wide scheme will be implemented for the recognition of Radioactive Waste Advisers.
