Solid Radioactive Waste Strategy Report.pdf - UK EPR

EPR UK
N° NESH-G/2008/en/0123
REV. A PAGE 171 / 257
11 WASTE TREATMENT BUILDING
11.1 Introduction
The WTB is the single interface for the processing of all radioactive operational waste materials
that will be generated by the operation of the UK EPR.
The building is designed to perform all waste management functions to house the treatment and
conditioning systems that are necessary to meet the utility and regulatory baseline. As a result
of this the building will accommodate a wide variety of complex functions for safe handling,
treatment, conditioning, buffer storage, packaging and monitoring of wastes.
The building layout and systems provide the following key waste management functions:
1. Treatment of radioactive wastewater and effluent;
2. Treatment of solid waste;
3. Conditioning of solid / liquid waste.
As such it provides the storage capabilities for incoming raw waste (liquid /solid) to be treated as
well as the buffer space needed prior to shipping of conditioned wastes for intermediate storage
or transfer to the off-site disposal location.
The liquid and solid waste treatment and conditioning systems provide the capability to minimise
the interim storage and disposal volumes while satisfying the storage and disposal
requirements. In addition the handling and transportation requirements for the waste packages
are met.
Following monitoring, clean liquids will be discharged in accordance with the discharge
authorisation issued under the RSA 93 and decontaminated parts are measured and released
off-site as the material exempt from regulatory control limits are met.
In addition the WTB provides all functions required for the protection and safe handling of
radioactive material. As such it is designated a controlled area under the Ionising Radiation
Regulations (1999) and incorporates measures to ensure that the doses received by operators
are reduced in accordance with the requirements of these regulations.
The raw waste volumes expected during normal operations and outages will determine the
sizing of the treatment systems. To allow maximum flexibility in the waste treatment and
conditioning techniques the equipment used will be mobile, for example skid mounted units and
modular in its construction where possible.