Like any source of energy, nuclear power produces a certain degree of environmental impact. The radiological hazards arise from:
- Small routine discharges of radioactivity from an operating station (gaseous and liquid effluents).
- Radioactive waste produced from various process and maintenance activities during the station’s operational life.
- Decommissioning the station at the end of its working life, which generates additional radioactive waste.
- Fuel cycle activities such as mining, milling, enrichment, fuel fabrication, and reprocessing — each of which has its own radiological hazards (these are covered in detail in later chapters).
All of these discharges are regulated and must be kept within strict limits set by the relevant national authority. In the UK, the regulators are the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and the Environment Agency (EA).