Agenda and minutes

Any information received after the agenda has been published, relevant to the applications on the agenda to be considered by the Committee will be published here.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Ash.

Councillor Sharp attended as a substitute.  Councillor C Day also attended as a substitute.

The minutes of the meeting held on 22 September 2009 were approved as a true and accurate record.

The meeting was adjourned for ten minutes to allow the Committee time to read through all of the additional information that had been provided.

A planning application had been submitted to Northamptonshire County Council for the disposal of low level radioactive waste in part of the permitted hazardous waste landfill site at the East Northants Resource Management Facility (ENRMF) situated in Kings Cliffe. Peterborough City Council had been consulted as an adjoining authority. This application was to permit the disposal of waste that contained low levels of radiation which typically arose from the decommissioning of nuclear power stations, science and research facilities, hospitals etc.

The wastes involved were mainly comprised of soils and building rubble, but as they contained small amounts of radioactivity they were not permitted to be disposed in the same way as uncontaminated building waste.

The type of waste involved (low level) was classed as having a radio active content not exceeding 4000 bacquerels per gram (Bq/g) of alpha or 12,000 Bq/g of beta or gamma activity. However, the material to be imported would not exceed 200 Bq/g.

The amount of material to be imported would range between 13,200 cubic m and 14,600 cubic m per year up to 2013. 2013 was the date by which the wider facility would be full.

Nationally there was a need for disposal capacity for this sort of waste. The main permitted facility was at Drigg in Cumbria, but even with a recently permitted extension, the capacity of this site was limited and so new sites were being sought throughout the country that could be used for the disposal of low level waste.

The waste that was proposed would be disposed of by landfill and would fall within the lowest 5% of radioactive waste.  The waste would be delivered to the site and taken directly to the area where it was to be landfilled. The waste would be kept within the containers that it was delivered to the site in.

The proposals would not increase the extent of the area of land to be landfilled, the volume of landfill (nearly 250,000 tonnes per annum) or the traffic movements associated with it. There would also be no change to the operational life of the site (due to cease in 2013), or to the restoration or aftercare requirements.

Regular monitoring would take place to ensure that management measures in place were fully effective and that the waste presented no danger to site workers, the wider public or to the environment.

Members’ attention was drawn to additional information contained within the update report. The Committee was advised that numerous objections had been received highlighting a catalogue of issues surrounding the proposed disposal. These objections had been received from local residents via their Ward Councillor, as well as the Thornhaugh 1 Quarry Liaison Group, the ProForma Group, Duddington Parish Council, Peterborough Friends of the Earth and Wastewatchers who had submitted a document entitled “consultee response to the Environment Agency concerning the request for authorisation by Augean PLC to deposit low level radioactive waste in the Kings Cliffe landfill site”.

Members  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.