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Dounreay - Past Present Future

A new building called the Low Level Liquid Effluent Treatment Plant is on site.  At present, low level liquid effluent is piped into two pits (these are the concrete structures)  where it is conditioned and sampled before being pumped into the sea.  The chemical and radioactive content of this is very closely regulated and scrutinised by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.  However, UKAEA and the regulators are placing increasing emphasis on reducing the levels of radioactivity discharged to the sea and the new plant will allow sludge and liquid to be treated and separated as necessary.  It is hoped that the new plant, built at a cost of £7.5 million, will be operational in the near future.  That will then allow the old tanks to be decommissioned.