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Updated Jan 27, 2019

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Welsh Government consults on a Geological Disposal Facility

The Welsh Government has produced a Consultation as part of the Working with Communities: Geological Disposal of Higher Activity Radioactive Waste, which aims to widen the search for a willing host community and a suitable site for the development of a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) in Wales.

The document has been developed by Radioactive Waste Management Ltd to bring together the key relevant existing policy, legislative and regulatory requirements that will apply at various points during the Siting Process during the evaluation of sites which may be suitable to host a GDF.

Geological disposal involves placing higher activity radioactive waste deep underground to ensure that the hazardous materials that come from the nuclear energy industry as well as radioactive hospital waste, are kept away from people and the environment, by containing it in a suitable geological environment for many years.

The document provides an overview of the Siting Process, which could take up to around 20 years.

During the Siting Process, the Radioactive Waste Management Ltd will have to satisfy many legal requirements for the purpose of constructing and operating a GDF, in particular:

  • land use planning consent;
  • Environmental Impact Assessment;
  • Habitats Regulations Assessment;
  • obtain a Nuclear Site License under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965;
  • meet the nuclear industry security obligations; and
  • obtain environmental permits for operating such sites.

Responding to this consultation

The Consultation is open for responses from 16 January 2019 until 14 April 2019.

The form to be used for responses to the Consultation can be accessed on the Government's website.

For more information, see the:


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