1. North West Regional Group
Meeting
Thursday 13th October 2011
“The role of the geologist in radioactive waste disposal”
Dr. Trevor Jones, Managing Director, AdvanSci Limited
Radioactive wastes have been generated as a by-product Dr Trevor Jones, Managing Director, AdvanSci
of industrial processes for over a century, but Limited - Trevor Jones is a Chartered Geologist with an
regulations governing disposal were not introduced in engineering, wastes, contaminated land and
the UK until 1963, more than a decade after the advent environmental management background and 26 years’
of military reactors and the early civil nuclear power wide-ranging consultancy experience. He held senior
programme. The disposal of radioactive wastes is positions with Atkins and Dames & Moore/URS before
essential for numerous non-nuclear managing the consultancy business
industries as well as the nuclear of RWE Nukem (now Nuvia) at
sector, and is publicly very Sellafield. He was subsequently
emotive. responsible for the development of
business related to the planning
All currently acceptable forms of and authorisation of facilities for
disposal rely on natural or artificial the treatment and disposal of Low
geological barriers for safety, and and Very Low Level radioactive
geologists have a vital role in the wastes, including permit
design, construction and applications by three landfills. He
environmental safety assessment of established AdvanSci in January
disposal facilities. The presentation 2011 to provide specialist
will show examples of historical consultancy services in radioactive
disposal practices, including the waste management, contaminated
Dounreay Shaft and Sellafield land and nuclear decommissioning,
B291, then describe the political and is currently a member of
background which led to the Scottish Government’s Project
collapse of the original NIREX Board developing the UK strategy
programme and the Government’s for managing wastes containing
adoption of the current process to Naturally Occurring Radioactive
identify a solution for the long- Materials (NORM).
term management of the UK’s
highest activity radioactive wastes. ©Image copyright Dounreay Site Restoration
Ltd and NDA
The current policies and regulatory requirements for the
authorisation of radioactive waste disposal facilities will The University of Manchester,
be described, with reference to the recent Environmental
Safety Case submission for the national Low Level Williamson Building, Lecture Theatre
Waste Repository. The unforeseen difficulties faced by Thursday 13rd October 2011, 6.30 pm
the first applicants seeking authorisation to dispose of The Williamson Building is located on Oxford Road at
Very Low and Low Level Waste in near-surface facilities the corner with Brunswick Street, postcode M13 9PL.
will also be described, including planning issues and the
Government’s interpretation of European legislation. Organised by the North West Regional Group of the
Geological Society of London.
Finally, the presentation will describe recent geologicalsociety.northwest@gmail.com
developments in UK radioactive waste policy and www.geolsoc.org.uk/nwrg
legislation, and review challenges facing those who
produce and seek to dispose of radioactive wastes, CPD: These events may be considered for contributing to a
recognised Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme as
including fundamental changes to the system of
part of personal development. Delegates should check their
Exemption Orders and convergence of the non- individual scheme requirements.
radioactive and radioactive waste management regimes.
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