# LC34 -- Leakage and Escape of Radioactive Material

## Condition

Licence Condition 34 requires the licensee to ensure that radioactive material is adequately **controlled and contained** so as to prevent any unauthorised leakage or escape, and that means are provided to **detect, record and report** any leakage or escape that does occur.

## Key Requirements

- Adequate measures must be in place to control and contain radioactive material
- Systems must be capable of detecting any leakage or uncontrolled release
- All incidents of leakage or escape must be recorded
- Significant events must be reported to ONR in accordance with the licensee's arrangements
- The condition covers all forms of radioactive material: solid, liquid and gaseous
- Both routine and accidental releases are within scope

## Relevance to Decommissioning

Decommissioning operations inherently disturb the physical barriers that contained radioactive material during the operational phase:

- **Breaking containment.** Dismantling structures, cutting into contaminated pipework, demolishing buildings and excavating contaminated ground all involve deliberate breaching of containment barriers. Each operation must be planned with appropriate measures to prevent uncontrolled release.
- **Airborne contamination.** Cutting, grinding and demolition activities can generate radioactive dust and aerosols. Temporary containment structures (tents, enclosures), ventilation systems and filtration are standard decommissioning controls.
- **Liquid releases.** Decontamination operations produce liquid effluents. Legacy drainage systems and below-ground structures may contain residual contamination that can be mobilised during excavation.
- **Monitoring.** Workplace and environmental monitoring programmes must be adapted to the changing conditions during decommissioning, as source terms and release pathways evolve.
- **Unknown contamination.** Legacy facilities may contain contamination in unexpected locations. Detection and reporting arrangements under LC34 provide the mechanism for capturing and responding to these discoveries.

## Docket Cross-References

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

## See Also

- [LC32](LC32.md) -- Accumulation of Radioactive Waste (waste containment)
- [LC35](LC35.md) -- Decommissioning (overall decommissioning arrangements)