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Adequacy of local emergency arrangements

Date released
26 June 2024
Request number
202405018
Release of information under
Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA)

Information requested

On your web-site https://www.onr.org.uk/our-work/emergency-arrangements/local-emergency-arrangements/ with regard of local emergency arrangements you state that “ONR formally assesses the adequacy of these arrangements which must include a test of the off-site emergency plans every three years”.

Would you please provide me with any records you hold, including emails to and from the operator and/or local authority and any “formal assessment of adequacy”, relevant to the AWE sites at Aldermaston and Burghfield as I am unable to find this information, including more recent level 2 and level 3 exercise reports on the internet.

Information released

We confirm that under s.1 of the FOIA, we hold some of the information relevant to your request.

However, due to the broad nature of your request, and the way in which the information is held on our systems, gathering it together is likely to take us beyond the appropriate limit set by the FOIA, We are therefore refusing your request under s.12 of the FOIA, where the cost of compliance exceeds the appropriate limit.

Under our duty to provide advice and assistance under s.16 of the FOIA, we have narrowed the scope of the request by therefore interpreting it as being in relation to ONR’s ‘assessment of the adequacy’ of the off-site emergency plan (OSEP) through observation and assessment of testing (exercising) of the OSEP. The following explanation sets out why we have done so.

The reference in the request is to the ‘Local emergency arrangements’ page on ONR’s web-site. This page covers arrangements to deal with off-site emergency arrangements at nuclear sites, as required by the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2019 (REPPIR’19).

ONR carries out regulatory oversight of the adequacy of the REPPIR’19 OSEP for the AWE sites. This is involves continuous interactions with West Berkshire District Council (WBDC), the duty-holder responsible for preparing, testing and reviewing the off-site emergency plan.

Under this interpretation of the request, we have identified the following records and formal communications: 

  • a record dated 12th May 2021 entitled “AWE Road Closure Workshop (DEPZ B Site)”;
  • a record dated 7th October 2021 entitled “Displaced Persons Workshop, part of test of AWE Off-Site plan”;
  • a record dated 8th November 2021 entitled “West Berkshire Council Workshop Supporting Off-Site Emergency Plan addressing Displaced Persons Following Off-Site Emergency at Atomic Weapons Establishment”
  • a record dated 26th January 2022 entitled “Test of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Cell for an off-site radiation emergency at AWE”
  • a letter dated 21st November 2022 entitled “Modular tests of AWE Off-Site Emergency Plan 2020/21/22”;
  • a record dated 25th May 2023 entitled “AWE Aldex 23 Level 2 Exercise”;
  • a letter dated 29th November 2023 entitled “Off-Site Emergency Plan for the AWE Nuclear Licensed Sites”;
  • a record dated 18th January 2024 entitled “West Berkshire Council REPPIR Update – 16th January 2024”;
  • a letter dated 6th February 2024 entitled “Offsite Emergency Plan for the AWE Nuclear Licensed Sites”; and
  • a record dated 11th April 2024 entitled “Meeting with West Berkshire Council (REPPIR Off-site Emergency Plan)”.

Should you wish to proceed under this revised interpretation of your request, in order to bring it within the appropriate s.12 FOIA appropriate limit, please contact us via the email address: contact@onr.gov.uk, quoting reference: FOI202405018. Any reformulated request will be treated as a new FOI request.

Please note that in accordance with s.1(3) of the FOIA we are not under any further obligation to respond until you have provided the appropriate refinement.

Further information

ONR’s opinion on the current adequacy of the OSEP is a matter of public record, and can be found on the WBDC website page: The Hollies Appeal Core Documents Library. Please refer to CD12.24 & CD12.26.

The request refers to ‘recent level 2 and level 3 exercise reports.’  We can confirm that no Level 3 exercise involving the AWE Aldermaston and Burghfield sites has been undertaken since the introduction of REPPIR’19.

Exemptions applied

s.12

PIT (Public Interest Test) if applicable

N/A