Safety and the environment at Dounreay
This information outlines how the site is regulated and gives information on environmental action plans.
Documents
Details
Safety and the environment
Dounreay, a division of Magnox Limited, is required to comply with nuclear safety legislation in the UK.
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) is responsible for regulation of nuclear safety and security across the UK and regulates Dounreay under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 and the Energy Act 2013.
Dounreay is licensed to operate a nuclear site under the Nuclear Installations Act.
Dounreay is regulated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
Important legislation under which Dounreay is regulated by SEPA includes:
- the Environmental Authorisation (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR18)
- the Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999 (PPC)
- the Water Environment and Water Services Act (Scotland) 2003
- the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
Dounreay is responsible for managing the chemical and radiological hazards at Dounreay in a way that protects people and the environment
Dounreay is authorised by SEPA to dispose of some chemical and radioactive waste, in liquid gaseous and solid forms. SEPA issues DSRL with authorisations, permits and licenses which include strict limits and conditions to control and minimise the:
- disposal and accumulation of radioactive waste on or from the site
- disposal of and polluting nature of non-radioactive liquid effluent disposed to the environment from the site
- disposal of and polluting nature of controlled solid waste
ONR is responsible for regulating radioactively contaminated land and groundwater on UK licensed nuclear sites. SEPA also has responsibilities for assessing the impact of Dounreay’s activities on groundwater
We invest a great deal of effort in our systems and practices to ensure our operations are conducted safely.
We work tirelessly on our culture, to encourage the very best behaviours and nurture an attitude where safety becomes second nature.
Our safety, health, environment and quality policy commits Dounreay to minimise the environment impact of our activities, comply with all relevant environmental legislation, have an environmental management system certificated to ISO14001, and to continually improve environmental performance.
Discharges and monitoring
Dounreay is responsible for managing the chemical and radiological hazards at Dounreay in a way that protects people and the environment.
As required by the EASR18 authorisation issued to DSRL by SEPA, we have an environmental monitoring programme (EMProg). This involves taking samples from the terrestrial and marine environment. Monitoring results allows us to assess the effectiveness of the environmental control measures which we use.
A summary of the survey and analysis results from the EMProg is provided to SEPA, and forms part of the annual Radioactivity In Food and the Environment (RIFE) report published by SEPA.
Biodiversity action plan
Dounreay has produced a biodiversity action plan which sets out actions to protect and promote flora and fauna on the site.
Site specific baseline
The NDA has produced a site specific baseline for Dounreay, as part of the strategic environmental assessment of its strategy.
It contains specific baseline information for the site and a map of the local area.
Updates to this page
Last updated 3 April 2023 + show all updates
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Text updated - DSRL updated to Dounreay, a division of Magnox Limited
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Biodiversity Action Plan has been updated
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Updated attachment: Safety, health, environment and quality policy
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Change of legislation from Radioactive Substances Act to Environmental Authorisation (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR18)
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First published.