Public consultation 14 November February 2015

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1 14 November February 2015 Submarine Dismantling Project: We want your views The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is holding a public consultation about its Submarine Dismantling Project. The Submarine Dismantling Project is our programme to deliver a safe, secure and environmentally responsible solution for dismantling 27 defuelled submarines. This involves recycling the bulk of the submarine and safely disposing of the remainder. The intermediate level radioactive waste is contained within the submarine s Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV). After the RPV has been removed in its entirety, it must be stored for an interim period until it can be processed and sent to a Geological Disposal Facility, some time after This public consultation will help us to decide where the interim RPV storage site should be. We are asking for your views on three main topic areas: the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). the process and criteria being used to compare the shortlisted RPV storage sites. the shortlisted sites and the differences between them. The MOD is taking its duty to manage the nuclear legacy of out-of-service submarines seriously. We believe that developing a solution now, rather than leaving it to future generations, is the responsible course of action and this is the aim of the Submarine Dismantling Project. As part of our consultation process, we invite you to visit our exhibitions and take part in a workshop, which will be in your area during December 2014 and January The exhibitions are an opportunity to find out more about the decisions we need to make about where the RPVs will be stored, to speak to the project team and to express your views. Copies of our Consultation Document will be available at the exhibition and can also be obtained from local council offices and libraries or downloaded from our website. We are committed to seeking your views before key decisions on the storage site are taken and we look forward to welcoming you to the exhibition. In the meantime, if you need any further information, please contact the Submarine Dismantling Project team or visit our webpages details are inside the back page of this leaflet. This newsletter provides some background information on the SDP and invites you to participate in the public consultation exhibitions and workshops. The following exhibitions are being held in your area: Venue: Cleator Moor Civic Hall and Masonic Centre, The Square, Cleator Moor CA25 5AU Dates: 12noon 8pm, Wednesday 17 December noon 8pm, Wednesday 28 January 2015 Venue: The Beacon Museum, West Strand, Whitehaven CA28 7LY Dates: 12noon 8pm, Thursday 18th December noon 8pm, Tuesday 27 January 2015 We will also be holding independently facilitated workshops offering an opportunity for you to discuss the RPV storage sites and inform our assessment process. Please see the back of this booklet for more details and the booking form. Yours faithfully Rear Admiral Mike Wareham Director Submarines

2 Public consultation What is the Submarine Dismantling Project? The aim of the Submarine Dismantling Project is to deliver a solution to dispose of 27 defuelled submarines of past and current classes after they have left service. At the moment, the UK s decommissioned submarines are stored afloat at the dockyards in Devonport (Devon) and Rosyth (Fife). Here they undergo regular maintenance to keep them in a safe condition. Afloat storage is safe but not a long-term solution and UK Government Policy is that decommissioning and disposal operations should be started as soon as practicable. A total of 19 submarines are currently stored in this way. We understand that there is keen interest in how and where we manage and store the radioactive waste from our nuclear submarines, including the defuelled RPVs. Our exhibition will explain the project, the process being used to select a site and provide information on the shortlisted RPV storage sites, including our assesment work to date. We are seeking your views on any of the storage sites and, in particular, the site local to you. You can attend an exhibition and give us your views in person or write to us by post or . Contact details are inside the back cover of this leaflet.

3 Public consultation How is a submarine dismantled? The main activities required to dismantle a submarine include: Low level radioactive waste and other radioactive material outside the RPV will be removed as a first step. The RPV will be removed from the submarine and placed in a secure container for onwards transport to the RPV storage site, where it will be stored until a geological disposal facility is available. The submarine hulk will be taken to a UK ship-breaking facility for recycling. Ship Recycling Following a number of public consultations some decisions regarding the dismantling of the submarines have already been made. The out-of-service submarines are currently stored afloat at Devonport and Rosyth dockyards and the initial dismantling will take place in these locations. We have also decided that the RPVs will be removed whole for interim storage. The submarines will be dismantled at a rate of about one per year. Size Reduction Initial Dismantling Established Disposal Routes for Hazardous Waste Recycle Material Where will we carry out the removal of the radioactive material from the submarines? Intermediate Level Waste Interim Storage for Intermediate Level Waste Low Level Waste & Very Low Level Waste Established Disposal Routes Geological Disposal Facility DISMANTLING PROCESS

4 Choosing the storage site The storage site of the RPVs now needs to be chosen from a range of existing nuclear sites across the UK. We have considered these sites and discounted some for practical reasons, leaving us with a shortlist of five sites that are suitable and available. We have not made any decisions yet, and we will not make any until after the public consultation. You will see in our Consultation Document and exhibition that we are seeking views on the assessment process to date, the differences between the candidate storage sites and the MOD s proposed process for reaching a final decision. Information gathered during this Public Consultation will be included in the decision-making process. Is it safe? Safety is our first priority. All submarine dismantling activities, including transportation and storage, will be carried out to stringent safety standards and our work will be closely regulated by independent bodies to ensure that safety standards are met and all risks and hazards are minimised. The regulators who will authorise and monitor submarine dismantling activities include: Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) Environment Agency (EA) / Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator (DNSR) Submarine dismantling plans will be assessed for safety and fully scrutinised at every step of the process. A nuclear submarine is powered by steam generated by a nuclear reactor. They can operate undetected under the water for thousands of miles without the need to surface for air. Most nuclear submarines do not carry nuclear weapons. Reactor Compartment The RPV is housed within the Reactor Compartment, which is part of the pressure hull and is designed to withstand the higher stress that can result from diving. Water is passed through the RPV where it is heated using uranium fuel. The heated water creates steam which powers the submarine. After significant operating time, the nuclear reaction from the fuel causes the metalwork in the surrounding RPV to become radioactive (activated). RPV This radioactivity is concentrated in the innermost components and only about 1% of the activity is in the body of the RPV itself.

5 What are the candidate sites for storing the RPVs? We considered all existing nuclear sites owned by the MOD, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and private industry across the UK when looking at where the RPVs could be stored. Some have been discounted for practical reasons, leaving us with a shortlist of five sites that are both suitable and available. The candidate sites are: Aldermaston in Berkshire Burghfield in Berkshire Capenhurst in Cheshire Chapelcross in Dumfriesshire Sellafield in Cumbria This shortlist was provisionally announced in February 2014 and confirmed in October. How will the final site be chosen? The SDP project team has now started to collect initial assessment information from each of the candidate sites. The assessment compares the sites using criteria that fall into 4 groups: The cost of the project over its entire life is mainly assessed through the Investment Appraisal process. Whether each site meets the functional needs of the project is mainly assessed through the Operational Effectiveness analysis. This includes storage capacity, site availability, compliance with policy and strategy, legal and licensing, transport constraints, security, and robustness against programme risk. Potential environmental impacts that the project must seek to reduce (if negative) or enhance (if positive) are assessed through the Strategic Environmental Assessment and also accounted for in the Operational Effectiveness analysis. These include impacts from routine operations and transport, accident risks, construction and demolition, and impacts on local communities and other MOD operations. Other factors affecting the ability to deliver the project are mainly assessed through the Other Contributory Factors analysis. These include public confidence, socio-economics, and political/policy frameworks etc. Our analysis of differences between the candidate sites is still at an early stage and will not be completed until mid What happens next? This public consultation seeks your views on the shortlisted sites and, in particular, the site local to you. The information you provide will be used in our assessment process. Comments and questions received during the consultation period will be acknowledged, recorded in a database and reviewed by the project team. A summary of the responses will be published in a Post-Consultation Report. The assessment work will then be completed and a recommended site identified. A final decision by the MOD on the selected site is currently expected in mid-2016.

6 What are we consulting about? We are gathering views on three main topic areas: the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). the process and criteria being used to compare the shortlisted storage sites. the shortlisted sites and the differences between them. There is a statutory requirement to consult on the SEA Environmental Report as it applies to the shortlist of sites. The Consultation Document provides information on the storage sites on the shortlist. The Consultation Document provides; further background on the project, presents information on what a store could look like, what is expected to occur within the store and provide some information on the shortlisted sites. No decision will be taken until we have completed this public consultation and considered all the responses received Have your say Understanding your views is a vital part of our consultation and decision making process. The formal consultation period begins on 14 November 2014 and runs until 20 February The exhibitions will be open to all and there is no need to register. We will also be running a series of independently facilitated workshops at each exhibition venue to give you an opportunity to discuss the Submarine Dismantling Project with other members of the public and with the project team. If you would like to take part in one of these workshops, please complete and return the slip at the back of this booklet by FREEPOST indicating the date and time of the workshop you would like to attend. Priority will be given to people who pre-register, but it may be possible to join a workshop discussion without registering if spaces are available on the day. In addition you can share your views: Online: : All the information that has been published as part of this consultation is available online at where you can also submit your feedback. By SDP@instinctif.com By post: If you wish to request paper copies of the documents, or submit your feedback by FREEPOST, please get in touch with us using the contact details opposite. At local events: At the exhibitions and workshops that are being held around each of the candidate sites. At national workshops: Two one-day exhibitions and workshops, one in Birmingham and one in Glasgow, are being held in January 2015 where issues can also be discussed in more depth. Please contact us for more information about these.

7 Where can I find further information? More detailed information about the project can be found: in our Consultation Document in our Supporting Information Document on Factsheets dealing with key topics, including safety and benefits in the Non-Technical Summary of our Environmental Report All of these documents, and more information, can be found at publications/submarine-dismantling-projectinterim-storage-of-intermediate-levelradioactive-waste They are also available on request from the team (see contact details opposite) Contact us: SDP@instinctif.com, call or write to: FREEPOST RSKJ-KRAH-YZRJ Submarine Dismantling Project c/o Instinctif Partners 4th Floor Dukesbridge Chambers Duke Street Reading RG1 4SA Consultation Document on the Site for Interim Storage of Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste 14th November 2014

8 Booking Form I would like to reserve a place on a workshop to discuss the MOD s plans for the assessment and selection of the storage site for the RPVs. Cleator Moor Civic Hall and Masonic Centre on: Wednesday 17 December 2014 Wednesday 28 January 2015 The Beacon Museum on: Please state your preferred time (workshops are due to run for 90 minutes) and will start at: 1pm 3pm 6pm Thursday 18th December 2014 Tuesday 27 January 2015 NAME: or ADDRESS for confirmation: NB. You do not have to register to attend an exhibition unless you wish to take part in a workshop. I would like to receive alerts when there are updates on the project. FREEPOST RSKJ-KRAH-YZRJ Submarine Dismantling Project c/o Instinctif Partners 4th Floor Dukesbridge Chambers Duke Street Reading RG1 4SA