Work starts on underground nuclear waste vaults

Construction work has now started on a series of underground vaults that will house up to a quarter of a million tonnes of low-level radioactive waste arising from the decommissioning of Dounreay.

The new facility is the first of its type to built in Scotland and the first ever to be granted planning permission!

Paul Zyda, founding Partner of Zyda Law said: "Its the end result of many years work to identify the best practicable environmental option for this type of waste and to obtain the necessary planning consents. We have been pleased to have been associated with this exciting project and to provide initial feasibility advice."

Low-level waste (LLW) typically consists of debris such as metal, plastics and rags contaminated during the clean-out and demolition of facilities where radioactive materials were handled. By volume, LLW represents more than 80% of all the radioactive waste generated by Dounreay's decommissioning. By radiological hazard, however, it represents less than 0.01%.

01 December 2011