Quintessa

Support to the Development of the Lifetime Plan for the Low-level Waste Repository at Drigg

The long-term safety of the Low-level Waste Repository (LLWR) near the village of Drigg, Cumbria was assessed in 2002 and submitted to the regulator, the Environment Agency, as part of a review of the continued authorisation of the facility.

The outcome has been the recognition that key issues need to be addressed to provide a robust safety case for the facility. Failure to make this case could have major implications for the management of LLW in the UK.

Since late 2005, Quintessa has had a major involvement in helping British Nuclear Group, Sellafield Ltd to develop a 'Lifetime Plan' for the LLWR. This provides an integrated approach to tackling the key issues such as:

  • Addressing key regulatory requirements for the continued authorisation of the LLWR;
  • Supporting the derivation of the Site End State by the Site Stakeholder Group;
  • Planning and preparatory work for the next iteration of the Post-Closure Safety Case within an overall Environmental Safety Case; and
  • Developing a strategy for key issues such as the potential vulnerability of historic trenches to coastal erosion.

Nexia Solutions have also been working with Quintessa to support aspects of the Plan.

Image courtesy of LLWR Ltd.