Magnox Electric Ltd

Oldbury Receives Decommissioning Consent

30 April 2008

Oldbury has achieved a major milestone in the site’s lifecycle, having received consent from the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) to decommission the site.

This is the second of two key permissions required for decommissioning and is the culmination of nearly three years work by staff.

As part of the process, Oldbury was required to set out the measures it will take to ensure decommissioning has a minimal impact on the local environment.

This includes reducing traffic movements, protecting wildlife and reducing noise and dust caused by the work. Under current plans, decommissioning of the site is due to begin in 2013.

The consent comes with conditions, which the site must comply with. The conditions are wide-ranging, covering issues from newt preservation to wheel-washing for lorries.

The consent was given under the Environmental Impact Assessment for Decommissioning Regulations 1999, which the NII administer for the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).

Work to obtain the decommissioning permission started in 2005 and the review process by the HSE and other interested stakeholders, including a public consultation supported by the site, took almost a full year.

Oldbury’s first consent, under Article 37 of the EURATOM Treaty, was granted in January 2008.

“This is a key milestone for Oldbury and something the site has worked hard to achieve,” said Site Director Joe Lamonby.

“It means Oldbury is very well prepared to enter the next cycle of its life, and demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the site is decommissioned in the best possible way for the local environment.

“This is the earliest any site has achieved this consent prior to decommissioning, and is another example of the site’s commitment to early preparations for its future.”