Our Nuclear Liabilities Regulation (NLR) specialism is made up of inspectors from scientific and engineering backgrounds.
NLR inspectors carry out a range of inspection activities at nuclear sites across the UK to ensure the effective regulation of:
- The accumulation, processing, storage, and disposal of radioactive waste;
- The management of radioactive materials spent nuclear fuel, and other nuclear materials;
- The decommissioning of nuclear sites;
- The management of radioactively contaminated land on nuclear sites; and
- The clean-up of nuclear sites to achieve a site end state suitable for delicensing and release from regulatory control.
NLR inspectors assess documentation including safety submissions about the above activities. These assessment inspection activities support the regulation of continued safe operation of nuclear sites, the remediation of legacy wastes and facilities and the construction of new facilities.
The specialism also delivers ONR’s statutory responsibility to ensure that the environmental impacts of decommissioning projects are managed appropriately, issuing consents when appropriate.
The activities the specialism regulates are often undertaken over long timescales. For example, the degradation of facilities and stored wastes, and the requirement to avoid the creation of unnecessary legacy wastes and facilities.
The specialism works closely with the other environment agencies on areas of joint interest, including drafting and publishing joint guidance to support compliance with legislation. An important area of joint working is related to the disposal of radioactive waste in a Geological Disposal Facility.
NLR inspectors also engage with industry on research and development for managing nuclear liabilities.
Our NLR inspectors undertake strategic work with national and international bodies, supporting government meet its obligations in the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management.