Delivering Step Change Improvements to UK Low Level Waste Strategy

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Dean ◽  
David Rossiter
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Local Treatment ◽  
Step Change ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Waste Hierarchy ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Nuclear Decommissioning ◽  
Treatment And Disposal ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Near Future

The UK Nuclear Industry continues to produce significant quantities of Low Level Waste (LLW) as decommissioning projects generating waste become more prevalent. Current infrastructure and projected increasing waste volumes will deliver a volumetric shortfall of storage capacity in the near future. Recently established as a stand alone site licence company, the Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR) near Drigg, in West Cumbria (formerly operated and owned by British Nuclear Group) is tasked with managing the safe treatment and disposal of LLW in the UK, on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). The problem is complex involving many stakeholders with potentially different priorities. Previously, most nuclear waste generators operated independently with limited integration with other similar organisations. However, the current financial, programme and technical pressures require collaborative working to facilitate a step-change improvement in LLW management. Achieving this quickly is as much of a challenge as delivering robust cost effective technical solutions. NDA is working in partnership with LLWR to develop a LLW Strategy for the Nuclear Industry and has in parallel commissioned a number of studies by the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), looking at opportunities to share best practice. A National Strategy Group has been established to develop a working partnership between the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, LLW Repository Ltd, Regulators, Stakeholders and LLW Consignors, promoting innovation, value for money, and robust implementation of the waste hierarchy (avoid-reduce-re-use-recycle). Additionally the LLWR supported by the NNL have undertaken a comprehensive strategic review of the UK’s LLW management activities. Initial collaborative work has provided for the first time a detailed picture of the existing strategic baseline and identified significant national benefits from improving the way LLW is forecasted, characterised, segregated, and treated in line with the waste hierarchy. Implementation of volume reduction technologies, such as incineration and metal treatment, is critical to mitigate the LLWR capacity gap and reduce NDA’s liabilities. The cumulative effect of these solutions has the potential to reduce lifetime costs by several £billion and extend the life of the existing LLWR site to 2070 and possibly beyond. This work has informed the NDA’s UK Nuclear Industry LLW Strategy, published for consultation in June 2009 and the Draft UK LLW Management Plan which sets out how the strategy will be implemented. Technical and infrastructure solutions have been found to exist via the supply chain supporting deliver of the necessary step changes in the near future. Work continues to reduce the LLW inventory forecast uncertainties and evaluate strategic implementation options in more detail, e.g. benefits of national vs. local treatment and disposal solutions, plus on gaining the corresponding stakeholder acceptance and operational authorisations.

UK Strategy for Nuclear Industry LLW

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Clark ◽  
Joanne Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Strategic Partnership ◽  
Management Service ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Nuclear Decommissioning ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Management Hierarchy ◽  
Strategic Goals ◽  
The Uk

In March 2007 the UK Government and devolved administrations (for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, from here on referred to as ‘Government’) published their policy for the management of solid low level waste (‘the Policy’). The Policy sets out a number of core principles for the management of low level waste (LLW) and charges the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority with developing a UK-wide strategy in the case of LLW from nuclear sites. The UK Nuclear Industry LLW Strategy has been developed within the framework of the principles set out in the policy. A key factor in the development of this strategy has been the strategic partnership the NDA shares with the Low Level Waste Repository near Drigg (LLWR), who now have a role in developing strategy as well as delivering an optimised waste management service at the LLWR. The strategy aims to support continued hazard reduction and decommissioning by ensuring uninterrupted capability and capacity for the management and disposal of LLW in the UK. The continued availability of a disposal route for LLW is considered vital by both the nuclear industry and non-nuclear industry low level waste producers. Given that the UK will generate significantly more low level waste (∼ 3.1 million m3) than there is capacity at the LLWR (∼0.75 million m3), developing alternative effective ways to manage LLW is critical. The waste management hierarchy is central to the strategy, which includes strategic goals at all levels of the hierarchy to improve its application across the industry.

Strategic Environmental Assessment for UK LLW Management

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Craze ◽  
Pete Davis ◽  
Matthew Clark
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Waste Treatment ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Environmental Safety ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Metal Recycling ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Implementation Of The Strategy

NDA is delivering a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to underpin the UK Nuclear Industry Low Level Waste Strategy. The purpose of this assessment is embed sustainability issues into our decision making and to fulfil our requirements under the European Union’s Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive (2004/42/EU) and transposing UK Regulations, and to underpin the development of the strategy. The outputs of the SEA have provided input into particular aspects of the strategy, leading to a more robust and better informed result. Development of options to be assessed under the SEA has looked at a number of factors, including: • what the strategy is aiming to achieve; • expectation from stakeholders as to what should be addressed; • consideration of tactical approaches to implementation of the strategy in addition to high level strategic issues; • links to other projects and programmes (for example the Environmental Safety Case for the Low Level Waste Repository. The SEA aims to provide a robust assessment of the environmental and sustainability impacts of alternative strategies for providing continued capability and capacity for the management and disposal of LLW in the UK. The assessment also considers other, more tactical, issues around implementation of the strategy, for example: issues around the location of LLW management facilities; the environmental impacts of alternative waste treatment options (metal recycling etc); considerations of alternative approaches to the classification of radioactive waste and opportunities that would result. Critical to the development of the SEA has been the involvement of statutory and non-statutory stakeholders, who have informed both the output and the approach taken.

Expectations for Managing Contaminated Ground and Groundwater: Developing a Common View of NDA and Regulators

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Clark
Keyword(s):  
Quality Management ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Common View ◽  
Land Quality ◽  
Nuclear Decommissioning ◽  
Environmentally Responsible ◽  
Working Together ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Responsible Manner

The management of contaminated ground and groundwater is a notable contributor to dealing with the challenge we face in cleaning up the legacy of the UK’s civil nuclear industry in a safe, cost-effective and environmentally responsible manner. To facilitate this mission, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Environmental Regulators and Safety Regulators are working together to develop common expectations for the management of contaminated ground and groundwater arising on and extending off nuclear licensed sites in the UK. The aims of this work are to: • set out shared expectations for land quality management, explaining any differing expectations where consensus is difficult; • interpret expectations to ensure they are clear and implementable, facilitating planning of programmes and deliverables; • provide a framework for dialogue against which progress in land quality management can be mapped; • promote positive action to manage land quality in a proportionate and sustainable manner to achieve consistent standards; and • identify whether areas of the regulatory framework or NDA contractual requirements warrant review and propose improvements for consideration, as appropriate. This paper outlines the process currently ongoing to identify the best way of achieving these aims in a manner that avoids compromising the respective statutory obligations, duties and functions of each party.

BPEO/BPM in Recycling of Low Level Waste Metal in the UK

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Dodd ◽  
Joe Robinson ◽  
Maria Lindberg
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Management Decision ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Metal Waste ◽  
Management Decision Making ◽  
Metals Recycling ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Case Basis

Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO) and Best Practicable Means (BPM) are concepts well established in the nuclear industry to help guide and inform waste management decision making. The recycling of contaminated metal waste in the UK is not well established, with the majority of waste disposed of at the Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR) at Drigg. This paper presents an overview of the Strategic BPEO study completed by Studsvik examining the options for low level metal waste management and a subsequent BPM study completed in support of a proposed metals recycling service. The environmental benefits of recycling metals overseas is further examined through the application of lifecycle analysis to the metals recycling process. The methodologies used for both studies are discussed and the findings of these studies presented. These indicate that recycling contaminated metal is the preferred option, using overseas facilities until UK facilities are available. The BPM for metals recycling is discussed in detail and indicates that a tool box for processing metal waste is required to ensure BPM is applied on a case by case basis. This is supported by effective management of waste transport and waste acceptance criteria. Whilst the transport of contaminated metal overseas for treatment adds to the environmental burden of metals recycling, this when compared with the production of virgin metal, is shown to remain beneficial. The results of the Studsvik studies demonstrate the benefits of recycling metals, the options available for such a service and challenges that remain.

“Strategy is a Commodity, Implementation is an Art”: 2 Years of Implementation of the UK National LLW Strategy

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Cassidy ◽  
David Rossiter
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Waste Treatment ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Strategy Implementation ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
National Strategy ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Low Level ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Future Demand

The Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR) is the primary facility for disposal of Low Level Waste (LLW) in the United Kingdom (UK), serving the UK nuclear industry and a diverse range of other sectors. Management of LLW in the UK historically was dominated by disposal to the LLWR. The value of the LLWR as a national asset was recognised by the 2007 UK Governmental Policy on management of solid LLW. At this time, analysis of the projected future demand for disposal at LLWR against facility capacity was undertaken identifying a credible risk that the capacity of LLWR would be insufficient to meet future demand if existing waste management practices were perpetuated. To mitigate this risk a National Strategy for the management of LLW in the UK was developed by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), partnered with LLW Repository Ltd. (the organisation established in 2008 to manage the LLWR on behalf of NDA). This strategy was published in 2010 and identified three mechanisms for protection of the capacity of LLWR – application of the Waste Hierarchy by waste producers; optimised use of existing assets for LLW management; and opening of new waste treatment and disposal routes to enable diversion of waste away from the LLWR. Since publication of the National Strategy, there have been significant efforts made by LLWR (on behalf of NDA) to drive strategy implementation and to optimise LLW management practices across the UK. This paper seeks to illustrate the challenges of strategy implementation in the context of the 2010 LLW National Strategy to provide a demonstration that “strategy is a commodity, execution is an art”. The paper describes: the key themes of the National Strategy; the key barriers to strategy implementation; the measures implemented by LLWR since publication of the National Strategy to support transformation of LLW management behaviours, with emphasis on how the initiative supports achieving the behavioural change; and providing a review of the past two years and a look forward to the planned evolution of National Strategy implementation over the next five years.

Institutional developments, standards and river quality: a UK history and some lessons for industrialising countries

1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. W. M. Johnstone ◽  
N. J. Horan
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Aquatic Environment ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Integrated Management ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Process Manufacturing ◽  
Treatment And Disposal ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Developed World

From the middle ages until the early part of the nineteenth century the streets of European cities were foul with excrement and filth to the extent that aristocrats often held a clove-studded orange to their nostrils in order to tolerate the atmosphere. The introduction in about 1800 of water-carriage systems of sewage disposal merely transferred the filth from the streets to the rivers. The problem was intensified in Britain by the coming of the Industrial Revolution and establishment of factories on the banks of the rivers where water was freely available for power, process manufacturing and the disposal of effluents. As a consequence the quality of most rivers deteriorated to the extent that they were unable to support fish life and in many cases were little more than open sewers. This was followed by a period of slow recovery, such that today most of these rivers have been cleaned with many having good fish stocks and some even supporting salmon. This recovery has not been easy nor has it been cheap. It has been based on the application of good engineering supported by the passing and enforcement of necessary legislation and the development of suitable institutional capacity to finance, design, construct, maintain and operate the required sewerage and sewage treatment systems. Such institutional and technical systems not only include the disposal of domestic sewage but also provisions for the treatment and disposal of industrial wastewaters and for the integrated management of river systems. Over the years a number of institutional arrangements and models have been tried, some successful other less so. Although there is no universally applicable approach to improving the aquatic environment, many of the experiences encountered by the so-called developed world can be learned by developing nations currently attempting to rectify their own aquatic pollution problems. Some of these lessons have already been discussed by the authors including some dangers of copying standards from the developed world. The objective of this paper is to trace the steps taken over many years in the UK to develop methods and systems to protect and preserve the aquatic environment and from the lessons learned to highlight what is considered to be an appropriate and sustainable approach for industrialising nations. Such an approach involves setting of realistic and attainable standards, providing appropriate and affordable treatment to meet these standards, establishment of the necessary regulatory framework to ensure enforcement of the standards and provision of the necessary financial capabilities to guarantee successful and continued operation of treatment facilities.

Has the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak had an impact on uptake of digital cessation support in UK smokers? An interrupted time series analysis (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Perski ◽  
Aleksandra Herbec ◽  
Lion Shahab ◽  
Jamie Brown
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
Step Change ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Primary Analysis ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Temporary Closure

BACKGROUND The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak may motivate smokers to attempt to stop in greater numbers. However, given the temporary closure of UK stop smoking services and vape shops, smokers attempting to quit may instead seek out digital support, such as websites and smartphone apps. OBJECTIVE We examined, using an interrupted time series approach, whether the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak has been associated with a step change or increasing trend in UK downloads of an otherwise popular smoking cessation app, Smoke Free. METHODS Data were from daily and non-daily adult smokers in the UK who had downloaded the Smoke Free app between 1 January 2020 and 31 March 2020 (primary analysis) and 1 January 2019 and 31 March 2020 (secondary analysis). The outcome variable was the number of downloads aggregated at the 12-hourly (primary analysis) or daily level (secondary analysis). The explanatory variable was the start of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, operationalised as 1 March 2020 (primary analysis) and 15 January 2020 (secondary analysis). Generalised Additive Mixed Models adjusted for relevant covariates were fitted. RESULTS Data were collected on 45,105 (primary analysis) and 119,881 (secondary analysis) users. In both analyses, there was no evidence for a step change or increasing trend in downloads attributable to the start of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. CONCLUSIONS In the UK, between 1 January 2020 and 31 March 2020, and between 1 January 2019 and 31 March 2020, there was no evidence that the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak has been associated with a surge in downloads of a popular smoking cessation app. CLINICALTRIAL osf.io/zan2s

scholarly journals Immigration Into the United Kingdom

2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 957-967
Author(s):  
Lukáš Nevěděl ◽  
Michaela Novotná
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Immigration Policy ◽  
Statistical Data ◽  
Colonial History ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Identity Cards ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Strong System

Migration is a process which results in an increase or a decrease of population. When analysing the immigration policy of the United Kingdom, it is important to be aware of two key factors which influenced it: the country’s location and its colonial history. As an island, the UK has developed a very strong system of border control while at the same time there is limited control within its borders which can be demonstrated e.g. by the absence of identity cards. The aim of this article is to evaluate immigration into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland based on available statistical data between 2004 and 2012. The data will be also used for a forecast of development of the numbers of immigrants from different countries and for illustrating possible immigration trends in the future. The article will mainly focus on a question whether in the near future the UK will experience an increase or a decrease in immigration or whether the number of immigrants will stay constant. Convergence analysis will be used to evaluate the data for individual administrative regions at the NUTS II level. The article will also detail numbers of immigrants per 1,000 inhabitants and it will answer a question whether there is convergence or divergence in the number of immigrants among different regions.

scholarly journals Exploration of implementation, financial and technical considerations within allied health professional (AHP) telehealth consultation guidance: a scoping review including UK AHP professional bodies’ guidance

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. e055823
Author(s):  
Enza Leone ◽  
Nicola Eddison ◽  
Aoife Healy ◽  
Carolyn Royse ◽  
Nachiappan Chockalingam
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
Study Selection ◽  
The Uk

ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a shift to remote consultations, but telehealth consultation guidelines are lacking or inconsistent. Therefore, a scoping review was performed to chart the information in the articles exploring telehealth for the UK allied health professionals (AHPs) and compare them with the UK AHP professional bodies’ guidelines.DesignScoping review following Aksey and O’ Malley methodological framework.Data sourcesCINHAL and MEDLINE were searched from inception to March 2021 using terms related to ‘telehealth’, ‘guidelines’ and ‘AHPs’. Additionally, the UK AHP professional bodies were contacted requesting their guidelines.Study selectionArticles exploring telehealth for patient consultations, written in English and published in peer-reviewed journal or guidelines available from UK AHP professional bodies/their websites were considered eligible for review.Data extractionOne reviewer extracted data concerning three overarching domains: implementation, financial and technological considerations.Results2632 articles were identified through database searches with 21 articles eligible for review. Eight guidelines were obtained from the UK AHP professional bodies with a total of 29 included articles/guidelines. Most articles were published in the last two years; there was variety in telehealth terminology, and most were developed for occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists. Information was lacking about the assessment of telehealth use and effectiveness, barriers and limitations, the logistical management, the family’s and caregiver’s roles and the costs. There was lack of clarity on the AHPs’ registration requirements, costs and coverage, and legal aspects.ConclusionThis study identified gaps in current guidelines, which showed similarities as well as discrepancies with the guidance for non-AHP healthcare professionals and revealed that the existing guidelines do not adequately support AHPs delivering telehealth consultations. Future research and collaborative work across AHP groups and the world’s leading health institutions are suggested to establish common guidelines that will improve AHP telehealth services.

scholarly journals Financing Political Parties in France, Germany and The United Kingdom

2016 ◽  
pp. 91-110
Author(s):  
Jan Misiuna
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Financial Information ◽  
Public Access ◽  
Final Conclusion ◽  
Election Campaigns ◽  
Low Level ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Uk

The paper compares the systems of financing political parties in France, Germany and the UK. The analysis concentrates on effectiveness of collecting contributions, dependency on large donors for providing funds for financing election campaigns and daily operation of political parties, and the level of transparency of finances of political parties. The final conclusion is that only introducing limits on expenditures on election campaigns allows to keep the costs of election campaigns and political parties at a low level, while mandatory common accounting standards and public access to financial information is necessary to preserve transparency of finances of political parties.

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