Port Clarence radioactive waste proposal consultation opens

BBC News

25-06-2025

People on Teesside are being asked to give their views on a proposal to dispose of radioactive waste at a landfill site.A revised Environmental Safety Case (ESC) for the spot at Port Clarence has been submitted by Augean North Ltd.The firm previously applied for permission to dispose of low-level radioactive waste at its facility off Huntsman Drive in August 2019.That effort was strongly criticised by politicians who said Teesside was not the UK's "dumping ground". The public consultation will close on 4 August.
Some 2,300 people took part in a four-month consultation in 2019 with only 13 coming out in support, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.This site has two existing permitted landfills - one for hazardous waste and one for non-hazardous waste.Augean's environmental permit application seeks to allow low-level radioactive waste disposal in both.The Environment Agency (EA) asked the company for more information in September 2020 and it has now submitted the revised ESC in response.
Monitoring promise
Gary Wallace, area environment manager for EA, said it was important the community had the opportunity to review the revised environmental safety case, "which has changed significantly since the original public consultation"."We welcome people's comments on the new information received and relevant environmental factors people feel are important," he said."Our technical assessment is ongoing and once we have reviewed the documents and information from the consultation we will make a draft decision on the application."The ESC states the waste will pose "a relatively low risk to people and the environment".It adds that when the landfills are full and site restoration has been completed, the design of the facility would minimise contact between infiltrating water and the waste.However, it adds "it is recognised that over long timescales and the natural evolution of the estuary, small quantities of radioactivity may migrate to the environment".It argues they will "remain below the relevant dose and risk guidance levels that have been defined for England and Wales by the Environment Agency".Augean says it will undertake environmental monitoring of the site and take samples regularly in an agreed programme with published results.People can take part in the consultation on the EA's website.
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