EDF Energy Ltd has notified the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and the Environment Agency that Hinkley Point B has reduced its holdings of dangerous substances, meaning it is no longer subject to the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 2015 (COMAH).
As part of this transition, EDF consulted the local authority in the Somerset region to inform them of the change and ensure no additional risk would be posed to the community in the process of reducing the inventory of dangerous substances at Hinkley Point B, as part of its decommissioning work.
Under Regulation 6 of COMAH, establishments must formally notify the Competent Authority when their holdings of dangerous substances are permanently reduced below the lower tier thresholds.
In June, ONR and Environment Agency inspectors visited Hinkley Point B after receiving their notification.
During this inspection, the licensee successfully demonstrated that their arrangements for removing and reducing dangerous substances met the required standard.
Insights from Hinkley Point B’s exit from COMAH will be taken forward to inform future risk reduction activities at other operating facilities, including any impact on local communities.
These observations will also inform how the Competent Authority regulates these activities on other nuclear sites being decommissioned.
What is COMAH?
Dangerous substances, such as ammonia, are present on many industrial sites, including nuclear facilities. COMAH aims to prevent major accidents involving these dangerous substances and limit the consequences of any accidents that might occur.
COMAH applies to sites holding amounts of dangerous substances that exceed certain thresholds and is jointly regulated by ONR and the relevant environment regulator (the Environment Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency or Natural Resources Wales), known collectively as the Competent Authority. COMAH establishments will either be lower tier or upper tier, depending on the quantities of dangerous substances held.
Regulators expect COMAH establishments to take all measures necessary to minimise the risk of a major accident being realised and control any risks that remain. They must remove or reduce the quantity of dangerous substances held on site at the earliest opportunity, considering nuclear safety and security to ensure there is no wider adverse impact from these activities.
COMAH does not cover nuclear material or irradiated chemicals on nuclear sites. This is regulated by existing nuclear legislation.