Radioactive waste plans unveiled

The consultation period runs until 30 June.

Plans to reduce radioactive waste from the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing site are being made public.

The Environment Agency has announced proposals for the UK Atomic Energy Authority's (UKAEA) Windscale station, which is based at Sellafield.

It wants to lower Windscale's permitted radioactive discharge, which it says is already relatively small and well within legal limits.

Anyone who wishes to view the plans should contact the agency.

The proposed review is intended to strengthen the regulations with which the UKAEA has to comply, and steadily improve environmental performance, while it continues to decommission the Windscale site.

Its main aim is to ensure that the environment and the public continue to be protected from the potential effects of radioactive disposal at the site.

The consultation period runs from 24 March until 30 June, after which the Environment Agency says it will consider all comments before publishing its final decisions.