2009 Report to Government on National Research and

identified the research required and <strong>to</strong>ld ND that it was being progressed (HSE,
<strong>2009</strong>c).
3.37 Since NuSAC was disbanded, its Research Review Group (RRG) has continued
<strong>to</strong> advise HSE. In <strong>2009</strong>, the RRG commented (CoRWM doc. 2630):
“(R&D) would benefit from a more transparent presentation of all the aims, in
some detail, so that the adequacy of progress could be judged against a
programme. Critically, there are many areas where solutions are still sought,
and they must be provided on an acceptable timescale.”.
The Environment Agencies
3.38 EA and SEPA have relatively modest research programmes on <strong>to</strong>pics of
regula<strong>to</strong>ry interest in the areas of radioactive waste management and related
health and environmental protection issues (CoRWM doc. 2464). Both agencies
aim primarily <strong>to</strong> influence others <strong>to</strong> carry out research and can require nuclear
site licensees <strong>to</strong> do research via conditions in authorisations issued under the
Radioactive Substances Act.
3.39 The research programme of EA’s Nuclear Waste Assessment Team (NWAT),
while small, is highly focused and makes good use of its resources. EA has a
limited R&D budget, including around £1M over the next 5 years for in-house (2
scientists) and commissioned work, supplemented by industry charges levied by
NWAT. This budget covers radioactive waste management and radioactive
substances risk assessment, including new-build. It is partly used <strong>to</strong> “lever” EA
in<strong>to</strong> joint projects and programmes involving NII, industry and international bodies
(such as the NEA Radioactive Waste Management Committee’s Integrated
Group for the Safety Case, para. 3.134). This approach gives the EA wider
influence and greater access <strong>to</strong> knowledge <strong>to</strong> help it <strong>to</strong> underpin its regula<strong>to</strong>ry
decisions. Current EA projects include:
• HLW / spent fuel safety cases: how different elements including the waste
form, container and disposal facility design contribute <strong>to</strong> the safety functions
• remediation of ILW packages, including non-intrusive techniques for
moni<strong>to</strong>ring the condition of packages in s<strong>to</strong>re, and guidance on choosing
remediation options so as <strong>to</strong> minimise health and environmental impacts.
EA plans further projects in:
• chemical speciation of radionuclides and non-radioactive elements in the
environment
• site issues such as appropriate characterisation techniques and managing
graphite wastes.
3.40 SEPA commissions research mainly via the Scotland and Northern Ireland
Forum for Environmental Research (SNIFFER). To date SEPA has funded little
R&D on the management of higher activity waste.
The Research Councils
3.41 Support for research is available from the Research Councils, which are the UK
<strong>Government</strong> agencies responsible for funding research and training. They
CoRWM Document 2543, Oc<strong>to</strong>ber <strong>2009</strong> Page 35 of 151