Commission Opinion

of 1 August 2007

concerning the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the operation of the Studsvik UK Metallic Recycling Facility located in Workington, Cumbria, United Kingdom

(Only the English text is authentic)

(2007/C 180/01)

On 15 January 2007, the European Commission received from the Government of the United Kingdom, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, General Data relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the operation of the Studsvik UK metallic recycling facility.

On the basis of these data and the additional information requested by the Commission and provided by the UK authorities on 22 January 2007 and 4 April 2007, and following consultation with the Group of Experts, the Commission has drawn up the following opinion:

1. The distance between the installation and the nearest point of another Member State, in this case Ireland, is approximately 160 km.

2. Under normal operating conditions the discharges of liquid and gaseous effluents will not cause an exposure liable to affect the health of the population in other Member States.

3. After processing, some of the material will be classified as LLW and some will be allocated for reuse or recycling. The process will also give rise to some secondary LLW waste. The facility does not envisage to process waste which cannot meet the Drigg Repository Conditions for Acceptance. Radioactive waste will be released from the requirements of the Basic Safety Standards either after treatment in Sweden (smelting) or directly if complying with criteria under the UK Substances of Low Activity Exemption Order, in all cases complying with the criteria laid down in the Basic Safety Standards (Directive 96/29/Euratom).

4. In the event of unplanned releases of radioactive effluents resulting from an accident of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, the doses received in other Member States would not be liable to affect the health of the population.

In conclusion, the Commission is of the opinion that the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste, in whatever form, arising from the operation of the Studsvik UK Metallic Recycling Facility located in Workington, Cumbria, United Kingdom, both in normal operation and in the event of an accident of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, is not liable to result in the radioactive contamination of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State.

--------------------------------------------------