# LC33 -- Disposal of Radioactive Waste

## Condition

Licence Condition 33 gives ONR discretionary powers to **direct the licensee to dispose of radioactive waste** in a specified manner. These powers are exercised in conjunction with the appropriate environment agency (the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency).

## Key Requirements

- ONR may direct the manner and timing of radioactive waste disposal
- Directions are coordinated with the relevant environment agency to ensure consistency between nuclear safety and environmental protection requirements
- The licensee must comply with any direction given under LC33
- Disposal must also comply with the conditions of any environmental permit granted by the environment agency
- The condition covers all forms of disposal: solid waste to authorised facilities, liquid discharges and gaseous emissions

## Relevance to Decommissioning

All waste generated during decommissioning must be disposed of through authorised routes:

- **Disposal route availability.** The UK currently has disposal routes for VLLW (landfill under permit), LLW (primarily the Low Level Waste Repository near Drigg, plus alternative routes), and controlled discharges. ILW is conditioned and stored pending the availability of a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF). The absence of a final ILW/HLW disposal route is a significant constraint on decommissioning programmes.
- **Regulatory coordination.** LC33 reflects the dual regulatory regime: ONR regulates nuclear safety on the licensed site while environment agencies regulate radioactive discharges and waste disposal. Decommissioning licensees must satisfy both regulators simultaneously.
- **Waste sentencing.** Each waste package must be demonstrated to meet the acceptance criteria for its intended disposal route. This requires characterisation, conditioning and documentation -- activities that constitute a major part of decommissioning work.
- **Proportionality.** ONR's power to direct disposal provides a mechanism to require action where waste is accumulating unnecessarily, complementing the minimisation requirements of LC32.

## Docket Cross-References

- Chapter 6, Section 6.5 -- Key Nuclear Site Licence Conditions

## See Also

- [LC32](LC32.md) -- Accumulation of Radioactive Waste (storage pending disposal)
- [LC34](LC34.md) -- Leakage and Escape of Radioactive Material (containment integrity)