Sellafield: radioactive substances activities (RSA) permit variation
Sellafield Ltd have applied to make changes to their RSA permit at Sellafield in Cumbria. We want your views on these changes.
The Environment Agency has carried out a major review of Sellafield Ltd’s RSA permit. The permit controls receipt and disposal of radioactive waste and imposes conditions and limits on discharges. This is the most significant review of this permit since the early 2000s.
As part of this review Sellafield Ltd submitted an application for a RSA permit variation in October 2018. We ran a consultation on this application from 26 October 2018 to 21 December 2018.
We are now seeking comments on our draft decision for this permit application. Public consultation helps us take account of any information that people think is relevant to our decision making.
Our draft decision is for the following main changes:
- significantly reduce site discharge limits and introduce an upper and lower tier structure for site discharge limits
- remove some site discharge limits where discharges have fallen below significant levels and they do not meet the Environment Agency criteria for setting limits
- replace plant discharge limits with plant notification levels so that Sellafield Ltd can make most effective use of the available discharge routes and treatment plants
- remove discharge limits related to the rate of fuel reprocessing (throughput) to reflect the end of reprocessing operations
- introduce a specific tritium limit for solid waste disposals at the on-site landfill known as Calder Landfill Extension Segregated Area
- update the permit to the latest template so that it reflects recent guidance changes