On 19 December 2018, the Government published a Written Ministerial Statement on implementing Geological Disposal, announcing the publication of its Working With Communities policy and the launch of a consent-based process to find a site in England to host a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF).
Following a Written Statement from the Welsh Government on 16 January 2019 announcing the publication of its Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste: Working with Potential Host Communities, communities in Wales will also be able to enter into discussions on potentially hosting a GDF.
A spokesperson for ONR said: “We note these Ministerial Statements and the launch of the process to identify a volunteer host community for a future Geological Disposal Facility (GDF).
“While the Office for Nuclear Regulation has no formal role in identifying the site for a GDF, any future facility will need to meet the high standards of safety and security required of a licensed nuclear site. To this end, we will support the siting process where appropriate, working with the environment agencies to explain how we would jointly regulate a GDF in order to protect people and the environment.”