Appendix A Scoping - Low Level Waste Repository Ltd

LLWR Ltd.LLW Repository, nr Drigg, Cumbria1 Introduction1.1 PreambleLLWR Ltd. is the company responsible for the management and operation of the Low LevelWaste Repository (LLWR) near Drigg in West Cumbria. The Low Level Waste Repository is theprincipal facility in the UK permitted for the disposal of Low Level Radioactive Waste. TheLLWR has been used for the storage and disposal of LLW for over 50 years.1.2 The Proposed DevelopmentTo satisfy the long term safety requirements related to the authorisation there is a requirementto install an engineered final cap and cut-off wall round the area used for current and futuredisposal. The installation of these features requires planning permission from Cumbria CountyCouncil (CCC) as the Waste Planning Authority (WPA).The sealing of Trenches 1 to 7 and Vault 8, the future change of the status of Vault 9 fromstorage to disposal, the potential for future sealing of Vault 9 and future LLW disposal in othervaults are all dependant on LLWR Ltd. demonstrating to the Environment Agency (EA) anacceptable Environmental Safety Case (ESC) for disposal of LLW at the LLW Repositorycovering the period up to withdrawal of control and thereafter. Requirement 2 of Schedule 9 ofthe current authorisation requires that the ESC must be produced by LLWR Ltd. by 1 st May2011.LLWR Ltd. therefore requires planning permission for:• the capping of Trenches 1 to 7 and Vault 8;• the future disposal of LLW in Vault 9 and subsequent capping;• the phased construction of Vaults 10-14 with disposal of LLW in these vaults andprogressive capping.The application will also request permission for high stacking in Vaults 8, 9 and all futurevaults.Site constraints mean that it will be necessary to progressively remove the perimeter woodlandplanting around the Trenches and Vaults during cap construction. However, capping will beinstalled in a phased manner to ensure early capping and restoration of waste in Trenches 1 to7 and subsequently Vault 8 with a landform designed to screen future waste disposaloperations and subsequent phased capping in the remainder of the site.The site will be progressively restored to grassland with screening planting around the eastern,northern and western perimeters of the site in parallel with phased cap construction.The proposed development will require the diversion of the portion of the Drigg Beck adjacentto Vault 9 and the proposed locations of future vaults along the south-western boundary of thesite. The course of the diverted watercourse will rejoin the existing Drigg Beck channelupstream of its confluence with the East-West Beck.Proposed Scope of Environmental Statement January 20111