The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), the government organisation responsible for cleaning up the legacy from the UK’s early nuclear industry, held an event for Scottish Parliamentarians, stakeholders and representatives of Scottish communities to explain the environmental and economic benefits of the UK’s nuclear decommissioning programme.

The NDA’s CEO, David Peattie, said:

The NDA’s 3 sites in Scotland have been at the leading edge of the UK’s nuclear industry for several decades, from Scotland’s first nuclear power station at Chapelcross, to the ground-breaking research at Dounreay and pioneering approaches to decommissioning and hazard reduction at Hunterston.

I am delighted to have had the opportunity to speak with such a diverse group of interested people about the NDA’s mission and the progress we’re making, but also about what we’re doing to leave a positive lasting legacy and support economic development, in partnership with the regeneration agencies, suppliers and local communities where we work.

The NDA’s nuclear decommissioning programme is worth £280 million a year in Scotland, with over £22 million going to 250 contracts with Small and Medium-sized (SMEs) companies based in every region of Scotland. 58 of the 73 Scottish parliamentary constituencies are home to SMEs providing goods and services to support nuclear decommissioning across the whole of the UK.

An important part of the NDA’s work involves mitigating the impact of its decommissioning programme on these communities, working with partner organisations to encourage economic sustainability after the sites finally close. Since 2006, a total of £15 million of funding from the NDA has gone to support economic development initiatives in Scotland, and this has unlocked a further £50million of matched funding.

NDA regeneration activities (since 2011) include:

• £21 million for the UK’s Nuclear Archive in Wick
• £2 million investment in Scrabster Harbour
• £1.7 million for regeneration initiatives close to Chapelcross, Dumfries and Galloway
• £250,000 for North Ayrshire Youth Employment Scheme
• £300,000 to re-open a marine research centre on the island of Cumbrae, near Hunterston

Nuclear clean-up in Scotland

Almost 2,500 people working on NDA’s 3 Scottish sites.

Dounreay

Dounreay led British efforts to develop fast reactor technology in the 1950s. The last of 3 experimental reactors
closed in 1994.

Dounreay is currently being dismantled and closed down.

Currently 2,000 people work at the site. This figure will shrink until the site closes in 2030-33.

Funding for 2017 to 2018: £189 million

Making the site safer by:

• removal and destruction of hazardous metal coolant from 2 reactors
• removing fuel elements that have been jammed for many years
• completing preparations to demolish the oldest reactor on site
• construction of underground vaults to dispose of Low Level Waste, in line with Scottish Government radioactive waste policy
• treatment, packaging and immobilisation of hazardous liquid waste that has been stored for 20 years

Chapelcross

Opening in 1959, Chapelcross was Scotland’s first nuclear power station. The site was originally built to produce
weapons-grade plutonium as well as electricity.

It produced enough electricity for all of Scotland for 2 years and stopped generating in 2004.

Around 300 people work at the site.

Funding for 2017 to 2018: £47 million

Making the site safer by:

• removal of 3,000 tonnes of asbestos
• spent fuel pond Number 1 emptied of radioactive waste, and drained
• installation of equipment to process waste from pond Number 2
• constructing a new storage facility for Intermediate Level Waste in line with Scottish Government policy for radioactive waste
• structural steelwork and ducting removed from the 16 boilers
• site closure in 2026

Hunterston A

Hunterston A opened in 1969 and generated electricity for 20 years.

The site produced enough electricity to power all Scotland for 3 years and will close in 2024.

Around 300 people work at the site.

Funding for 2017 to 2018: £42 million.

Making the site safer by:

• installing aluminium cladding to weather-proof reactor buildings
• spent fuel storage ponds emptied, drained and cleaned out
• construction of shielded store for higher-activity waste
• deploying robotic equipment to retrieve radioactive waste from 5 bunkers

Leaving a positive legacy

The NDA is working with local communities to deal with the economic impact of closing sites.

Support is provided in partnership with local authorities and economic development bodies, with priorities focused on:

• economic development initiatives
• help for start-ups and business diversification
• skills development and training

Since 2006: total of £65 million for Scottish projects. Comprising £15 million from NDA plus match funding.

Economic development examples

• £2 million initial investment in Scrabster Harbour’s £20 million redevelopment programme:
  • underpins its fishing and tourism industries
  • enables the area to capitalise on the growing offshore renewables sector as well as oil and gas developments
• £250,000 for North Ayrshire Youth Employment Scheme, aimed at tackling high unemployment rates among young people.
• More than £14 million to a range of Caithness projects supporting economic diversification, employment initiatives, education and skills, social infrastructure and tourism.
• £21 million nuclear archive for records from the entire UK nuclear industry. Located in Wick as part of the NDA’s commitment to help offset the economic impact of closing Dounreay.
• £1.7 million for programmes at Chapelcross, working with Dumfries and Galloway Council, and Scottish Enterprise, to support local economic activities. Now focused on marketing land next to the site for industrial use, including renewables.
• £300,000 to help re-open the UK’s oldest marine research centre on the island of Cumbrae, near Hunterston, which closed due to loss of grant funding.

Our Supply Chain

During 2016-17, 250 SMEs in Scotland were providing goods and services directly to the NDA’s English, Scottish and Welsh sites. The value of these contracts is around £22 million.

The NDA, through its businesses, Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd and Magnox Ltd, placed contracts with SMEs in every Scottish parliamentary region and in 58 of the 73 Scottish parliamentary constituencies.

Almost half of SMEs working for Dounreay are from the Caithness, Sutherland and Ross constituency, which represents the highest ‘buy local’ concentration of all NDA sites.

The Environment Agency publish permits that they issue under the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED).

This decision includes the permit and decision document for:

• Operator name: Centrica Storage Limited
• Installation name: Easington Gas Terminal
• Permit number: EPR/AP3833LW/V005

The Environment Agency consults the public on certain applications for the abstraction and impoundment of water.

These notices explain:

• what the application is about
• which Environment Agency offices you can visit to see the application documents on the public register
• when you need to comment by

Direction from the Secretary of State and Welsh Ministers to the Environment Agency and the Natural Resources Body for Wales. This covers the reporting of standardised information on radioactive airborne and liquid discharges into the environment from nuclear power stations and nuclear reprocessing plants, as required by Article 67.2 of the Basic Safety Standards Directive 2013/59/Euratom.

As the bathing water season begins this week, visitors to the seaside will have 422 bathing spots to choose from after nine new beach locations have been designated as official bathing waters along the south coast.

The Environment Agency tests water quality at every official bathing water to ensure it is maintained and improved. Last year, water quality remained high with 98.3% of bathing waters in England meeting the tough standards. 92% of these locations achieved the top rating of Excellent or Good.

Beach-goers can check out the water quality at their nearest bathing water spot by visiting the Environment Agency’s online map at the Bathing Water Data Explorer website.

Helen Wakeham, Deputy Director of Water Quality at the Environment Agency, said:

It is wonderful news that more beaches have been given bathing status in time for the start of the 2018 season. Water quality has improved at English beaches giving locals and tourists a better experience as well as benefiting the environment.

Water quality tests are published online, me and my family will certainly be searching the online map before heading off to enjoy time at the beach this summer.

The Environment Agency will continue to work with water companies, councils and local communities to keep our beaches clean, reduce pollution and protect our environment. We are working to achieve the goal in Defra’s 25 Year Plan to minimise the harmful bacteria in our bathing waters by 2030.

During the bathing water season environment officers will take up to 20 samples at each location, from now until the end of September. Samples will be tested in Environment Agency labs for cleanliness. This year, in addition to sampling water quality, Environment Agency teams will also carry out surveys of plastic pollution on beaches. This data will help target our work and support community action.

Dramatic improvements have already been made over the last two decades to prevent pollution ending up in the sea, but there is always more to do.

Pollution from sewage and from agriculture are generally recognised as the two most significant sources but there are some local variations. Surveys have shown that around a third of bathing water pollution is caused by agriculture. This year the Environment Agency is rolling out new rules for farmers to ensure best practice is followed and pollution from farms is reduced.

Water companies have done a lot over the last two decades to improve infrastructure investing over £2.5 billion on projects that have improved water at swimming beaches.

To go further the Environment Agency are advising water companies on the investment they should be making to protect the environment, these include measures to protect water quality as well as being more resilient to flooding and potential water shortages. Environment Agency proposals include that water companies should improve 24 bathing waters between 2020-2025.

All members of the public can help keep water clean by taking all rubbish with them after visits to the beach, not leaving dog mess on the beach and at home never flushing wet wipes or pouring fats down drains.

Heavy rain is likely to reduce water quality in the short term, even at Excellent beaches. Information on the Bathing Water Data Explorer website may advise against swimming and there could be temporary signs at beaches.

The nine new beaches have become official bathing waters following suggestions from councils, feedback from public consultations and a decision by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

All the new bathing waters will have signage to show they are official swimming spots and the Environment Agency will test water quality regularly.

One of the new beaches is in Bournemouth, Manor Steps beach. Eight of the new locations are in Cornwall: South Fistral beach in Newquay, Booby’s Bay near Trevose Head, Mexico Towan, Upton Towan and Godrevy, all situated on a long stretch of dunes in St Ives Bay, Northcott Mouth beach to the north of Bude, Gwynver Beach which forms part Whitesand Bay and Tregonhawke in Whitesand Bay.