SAFEGROUNDS
SAFety and Environmental
Guidance for the Remediation of
UK Nuclear and Defence Sites
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SAFEGROUNDS: background
• During 1998 the network begun as increased openness
was emerging in the nuclear sector
• Industry committees were discussing difficulties in
estimating and managing the liabilities posed by
contaminated land on nuclear sites
• Need identified for best practice guidance
• CIRIA was invited to share its long experience of
developing consensus-based guidance production
• Preparation of Site Characterisation guidance in 2000
using trail-blazing stakeholder events convened by the
Environment Council
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Purpose of Presentation
• provides awareness of SAFEGROUNDS
• gives overview of guidance documents
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SAFEGROUNDS mission:
'A forum for developing and
disseminating good practice guidance
on the management of radioactively
and chemically contaminated land on
nuclear and defence sites in the UK.'
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SAFEGROUNDS aims:
• Maintain and promote SAFEGROUNDS
guidance
• Provide a forum for debate and encourage
stakeholder participation
• Provide information on policy, regulatory
and technical issues
• Develop further SAFEGROUNDS
supporting documents
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SAFEGROUNDS
Learning Network
• reflects the need for broader debate
• oversees good practice guidance
preparation
• helps drive its implementation
• raises awareness and guidance take-up
• annual programme of activities built
around the mission and aims
• e-newsletter three times a year
www.safegrounds.com
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SAFEGROUNDS
Network Members
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non-governmental organisations
regulators and other Government agencies
nuclear liability owners including NDA
MoD including Defence Estates
nuclear site licensees
community based organisations
contractors and consultants
local authorities
campaign groups
independent academics, researchers and analysts
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SAFEGROUNDS
Project Steering Group members
•AWE
•British Energy
•Defence Estates
•Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd
•Environment Agency
•Gloucester City Council
•Health & Safety Executive
•Health Protection Agency
•Low Level Radiation Campaign
•Magnox North Ltd
•Magnox South Ltd
•National Nuclear Laboratory
•North Highland College
•Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
•Oxfordshire County Council
•Parents Concerned About Hinkley
•Research Sites Restoration Ltd
•Sellafield Ltd
•Scottish Environment Protection Agency
•Scottish Executive
•Sellafield Ltd
•UK Nuclear Free Local Authorities
•University of Warwick
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SAFEGROUNDS Key Principles
• five key principles for the management of all
contaminated land on nuclear and defence sites
• integral part of the SAFEGROUNDS guidance
documents
• established through a consultative process
• they are non-overlapping and complementary
• they should be applied together, and form a
central part of the SAFEGROUNDS ethos
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SAFEGROUNDS: Key Principle 1
Protection of people and the environment
The fundamental objective of managing
contaminated land on nuclear-licensed
sites and defence sites should be to
achieve a high level of protection of people
and the environment, now and in the
future.
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SAFEGROUNDS: Key Principle 2
Stakeholder involvement
Site owners/operators should involve
stakeholders in the management of
contaminated land, particularly to inform
decision-making.
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SAFEGROUNDS: Key Principle 3
Identifying the preferred land
management option
Site owners/operators should identify their preferred
management option (or options) for contaminated land
by carrying out a comprehensive, systematic and
consultative assessment of all possible options. The
assessment should be based on a range of factors that
are of concern to stakeholders, including health, safety
and environmental impacts and various technical, social
and financial factors.
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SAFEGROUNDS: Key Principle 4
Immediate action
Site owners/operators should assess both
potential and known areas of land contamination
and where appropriate implement a prioritised
programme of investigation and any appropriate
monitoring. On confirmation of areas of land
contamination being present, control measures
should be instigated until an appropriate
management option has been identified and
implemented.
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SAFEGROUNDS: Key Principle 5
Record-keeping
Site owners/operators should make
comprehensive records of the nature and extent
of contamination, the process of deciding on the
management option for the contaminated land
and the findings during the implementation and
validation of the option. All records should be
kept and updated as necessary.
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SAFEGROUNDS
GUIDANCE
www.safegrounds.com
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Hierarchy of guidance documents
Approach to Managing Contaminated Land on
Nuclear-licensed and Defence Sites – An Introduction
Good Practice Guidance for the Management of Contaminated
Land on Nuclear-licensed and Defence Sites
Good Practice Guidance for Site Characterisation
Guide to the Comparison of Contaminated Land
Management Options
Good Practice Guidance for Land Quality Records
Management for Nuclear-licensed and Defence Sites
Regulatory Framework Paper
UNDER REVIEW : Stakeholder Involvement
UNDER REVIEW :
Assessment of Health and Environmental Risks
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Top level document
“SAFEGROUNDS Approach to
Managing Contaminated Land
on Nuclear-Licensed and
Defence Sites – An
Introduction”
New for 2009
AUDIENCE – all stakeholders
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“An Introduction” document Scope
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Non-technical
Introduction to principles and process
Stakeholder involvement
Involvement opportunities
Contacts and information
Glossary and acronyms
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SAFEGROUNDS
LAND MANAGEMENT
GUIDANCE
Version 2, 2009
AUDIENCE: primarily
decision-making stakeholders
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Land Management Guidance
(LMG)
This guidance sets out an approach and
process for land quality management on
nuclear-licensed sites where legacy
radioactive, and/or mixed radioactive and
non-radioactive contamination is present,
and those defence sites on which there is
legacy radioactive contamination and/or
mixed radioactive and non-radioactive
contamination.
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LMG: Status
The guidance represents good practice in
accordance with regulatory requirements,
but does not in itself ensure regulatory
compliance. It is not binding on site
owners/operators and has no legal
standing. Site specific requirements
should always be discussed and
negotiated with the appropriate regulators.
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LMG: Scope
– Part 1 - introduction, scope, structure and
definitions.
– Part 2 - expands on SAFEGROUNDS Key
Principles
– Part 3 contains an overview of the process of
managing contaminated land and further
guidance on specific areas of the process
related to the Decision Flow Diagram.
– Part 4 contains a list of references, and a
glossary, including a key to acronyms.
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Summary Decision Flow Diagram
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SAFEGROUNDS
Good Practice Guidance
for Site Characterisation
Version 2, Updated 2009
AUDIENCE: primarily technical
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Good Practice Guidance for Site
Characterisation – Scope 1
• types and characteristics of contaminated land
commonly encountered
• key health, safety, security and environment
issues in site investigations
• reasons and aims for carrying out investigation
of potentially contaminated land
• good practice planning of site investigations for
a systematic approach
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Good Practice Guidance for Site
Characterisation – Scope 2
• available site characterisation methods
• issues associated with radioactive waste arising
from characterisation, and the transport of
radioactive samples
• how stakeholders should be involved at the
various stages of characterisation work;
• how site characterisation works should be
recorded
• signposts and references to other relevant
documentation
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SAFEGROUNDS
Guide to the Comparison
of Contaminated Land
Management Options
New for 2009
AUDIENCE: primarily technical
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Guide to the Comparison of Contaminated
Land Management Options - Scope
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Introduction
Guidelines
Methods
Selecting a method
Appendix of examples
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SAFEGROUNDS
Good Practice Guidance for
Land Quality Records
Management for Nuclearlicensed and Defence Sites
First issued 2007
AUDIENCE: primarily technical
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Guidance for Land Quality Records
Management - Scope
• why it is important that land quality information
should be recorded (drivers, existing initiatives,
regulatory requirements and site owner requirements)
• what land quality information should be
recorded and in what form (introduction of Land
Quality File)
• how a record keeping system should be set up
and maintained (management, organisation, active
records in physical or electronic form, archiving, GIS)
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SAFEGROUNDS
The Regulatory Framework for
Contaminated Land on Nuclearlicensed Sites & Defence Sites
Updated 2007 (v5) & 2009 (v6)
AUDIENCE: all stakeholders
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Regulatory Framework Paper v5
• sites included
• summary of regulatory regimes, including
devolved administrations
• definitions of radioactively and nonradioactively contaminated land
• management of contaminated land under
the different regulatory regimes for
different types of site
• Possible future developments
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SAFEGROUNDS
Community Stakeholder
Involvement Paper
First issued 2005, UNDER
REVIEW
AUDIENCE: all stakeholders
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SAFEGROUNDS
Assessment of Health &
Environmental Risks of
Management Options for
Contaminated Land
First issued 2005, UNDER
REVIEW
AUDIENCE: all stakeholders
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SAFEGROUNDS
SAFety and Environmental
Guidance for the Remediation of
UK Nuclear and Defence Sites
www.safegrounds.com
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