Caithness.org News Bulletins

Final HSE/SEPA Report Recognises Progress

UKAEA today welcomed the publication by HSE and SEPA of their final report on the Safety Audit of Dounreay, which took place in 1998. The report marks the completion of the work needed to discharge all 89 of the audit recommendations which are not of a long-term or strategic nature.

UKAEA's Chief Executive, John McKeown, said: "The 1998 audit has proved to be a turning point for Dounreay. Since then, we have made its implementation our top priority. As a result, I believe that Dounreay is now at the forefront of safe, environmentally responsible nuclear site restoration.

"Great credit is due to Peter Welsh, Dounreay Director, and all our staff at the site. It is their hard work which has made possible the achievement we are marking today."

Peter Welsh in turn paid tribute to the staff who have delivered major improvements in safety at the site.

He said: "The publication of the final report on the Safety Audit is a tribute to the way staff responded to the 1998 recommendations. They have worked tirelessly to restore confidence in the site.

"But we must continue to improve our performance if we are to retain that confidence and demonstrate to the new Liabilities Management Authority when it is established that no-one can restore the environment of Dounreay more safely and efficiently than us.

"A lot has been achieved in the last three years and we have worked very hard to eliminate the weaknesses identified by the regulators. But there is still a huge amount to be done to fulfil all the promises that are reflected in our site restoration plan and deal safely with the hazardous materials that are a legacy of Dounreay's days as an experimental research and development establishment.

"Many difficult challenges lie ahead. But the site is now in a much stronger position to meet these challenges and the determination and professionalism shown by the staff during the last three years gives me confidence that we can continue to improve our performance and so lead the world in the decommissioning of complex nuclear sites."

Key achievements since 1998 include:
· Publication of the Dounreay Site Restoration Plan, integrating approximately1500 projects required to restore the environment of the site at a cost in the region of £4 billion over the next 50-60 years. It is the most detailed plan ever produced for the decommissioning of a nuclear site anywhere in the world.

· A 50 per cent increase in annual expenditure provided by the DTI and the recruitment of more than 350 additional staff.

· Opening of a new £6 million plant for dealing with solid low-level waste.

· Re-opening of plants for dealing with solid intermediate-level waste.

· The return of foreign-owned material previously stored at Dounreay.

· Completion of a £6 million effluent plant to improve control over the site's low-level discharges to sea.

· Solid progress on reactor decommissioning, including the completion of a £17 million plant to treat sodium coolant from the Prototype Fast Reactor.

Dounreay Information
Dounreay was the UK centre for fast reactor research and development from 1955 until 1994. It is now being decommissioned by the UKAEA.   The 1998 Safety Audit published by the Health and Safety Executive and Scottish Environment Protection Agency in September 1998 contained 143 recommendations. UKAEA's response was published in November 1998.   The Final Report 2001 was published today by the HSE and SEPA and can be viewed at www.hse.gov.uk/nsd/auditfin.pdf 

The Dounreay Site Restoration Plan can be viewed at www.ukaea.org.uk

Since 1998, the UKAEA workforce at Dounreay has risen from 817 to 1158.  During 2002/03, UKAEA intends recruiting an additional 100 staff. In addition to UKAEA personnel at Dounreay, there are approximately 1000 contractors on site at any one time.

Annual expenditure by UKAEA at Dounreay has risen from less than £100 million in 1998 to approximately £140/150 million, of which approximately £80 million is spent on contracts. The direct benefit to the economy of Caithness and Sutherland is estimated to be £61 million per annum.