Radioactive Waste

Radioactive waste is not classified as Controlled Waste.
The accumulation and disposal of radioactive materials, including radioactive waste, is controlled by the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 (RSA93). The Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999 require that radioactive substances (including waste) be kept in a suitable receptacle in a suitable store. The store should have an appropriate warning sign displayed outside.

Under Section 13 of RSA93, an authorisation is required from the Environment Agency/SEPA for the disposal of radioactive waste from any premises (disposal under the terms of the act includes removal, deposit, destruction, discharge whether into water, air, sewer, drain or otherwise or burial whether underground or otherwise).

Authorisation under Section 14 is also required where radioactive waste is accumulated on the premises with a view to subsequent disposal.

It is an offence to dispose of or accumulate radioactive waste otherwise than in accordance with an authorisation issued under Sections 13 or 14 of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. Penalties for breach of the Act can be in the form of fines, imprisonment or both. The enforcing authority is the Environment Agency/SEPA.

There are a number of Exemption Orders that cover low-level radioactive waste.
However, where an organisation holds an authorisation for disposal, exemption orders may not be applicable.

A number of Exemption Orders cover low-level radioactive waste:

Solid waste with an activity of <=0.4Bq/g and which is substantially insoluble in water does not require authorisation under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, provided the requirements of the appropriate exemption orders for substances of low activity are met.

The Radioactive Substances (Waste Closed Sources) Exemption Order 1963 excludes disposal of sealed sources from the provisions of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 provided that:
The waste is disposed of via a person/organisation authorised under the Act to dispose of radioactive waste.
Records are kept showing the type and quantity of all radionuclides contained in the source being disposed of, the date of disposal, and the name and address of the person/organisation who removed the waste.

Note that, where an organisation holds an authorisation for disposal, exemption orders may not be applicable.

Disposal routes for which authorisation may be sought include:

via the normal waste stream
via an authorised contractor
by in house incineration using an authorised incinerator

Each of these routes will be subject to specific restrictions

The disposal authorisation will also stipulate requirements for the disposal of radioactive effluent to sewer and the release of radioactive emissions to atmosphere. These will not be dealt with further since they are outside the scope of this manual.

Disposal routes for which authorisation may be sought include:

Small amounts of solid waste can be disposed of with ordinary waste, provided that the concentration of specified radionuclides, either in a single item or in a total volume of waste, does not exceed specified limits. These are usually:
400kBq in 0.1m3, and
40kBq per article.
The radioactive waste must be well mixed with domestic refuse in the skip or dustbin. It is usual to exclude alpha emitters.
If you operate your own incinerator, authorisation can be sought from the Environment Agency/SEPA for disposal of radioactive material by incineration. The ash resulting from incineration may contain radionuclides so separate authorisation may be required for its disposal.
Waste which cannot be disposed of through dustbin disposal or via your own incinerator should be collected by an authorised company and can be disposed of to authorised landfill sites, provided certain site management criteria are met.

Certain radioactive wastes, because of additional hazardous properties (chemical or biological), may qualify as hazardous/ special waste.

If this is the case

in England and Wales the Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 also apply to their transport and disposal
in Scotland the requirements of the Special Waste Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (as amended) apply.

Radioactive Substances Act 1993

Determine whether the waste requires authorisation under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 and associated exemption orders for storage and disposal.
Ensure that you have a safe storage area, which complies with the requirements of the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999 for the storage of waste materials prior to disposal. Obtain an authorisation under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 for their storage.
Determine the most appropriate disposal route for the waste material.
Apply for the necessary authorisations from the Environment Agency/SEPA using form RSA3 (a fee is payable for the authorisation). You will need to provide details of the type and quantity of waste which you wish to dispose of by each route. If an authorised person/organisation is to be used to dispose of waste, check the details of their authorisation by contacting the Environment Agency/SEPA.

The records that you need to keep for each authorised disposal route will be outlined in the authorisation issued by the Environment Agency/SEPA

In this section…

Radioactive Waste

A number of Exemption Orders cover low-level radioactive waste:

Radioactive Substances Act 1993

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