Bid to dump radioactive waste enters new phase

A BID to dump radioactive waste at Port Clarence has moved into a new public consultation opened by the Environment Agency.

- By GARETH LIGHTFOOT

People will have the chance to give their views on a revised “environmental safety case” (ESC) which has been submitted by Augean North Ltd.

The 600-page document, said to contain “significant changes” since its predecessor almost five years ago, sets out how the company proposes to ensure environmental safety.

Augean applied for permission to dispose of “low-level radioactive waste” at its landfill site off Huntsman Drive, Port Clarence in August 2019.

The firm said at the time the plan was safe, but it was strongly criticised by politicians who said Teesside was not the UK's “dumping ground”.

Some 2,300 people took part in a four-month consultation in 2019, with only 13 coming out in support. One person wrote: “We do not need any more toxic waste in this area, anyone claiming it is safe should have it buried in their own back gardens.”

This site has two existing permitted landfills: one for hazardous waste and one for non-hazardous waste.

Augean’s environmental permit application seeks to allow low-level radioactive waste disposal in both.

The Environment Agency (EA) asked the company for more information in September 2020, and Augean has submitted a revised ESC addressing the agency's requests in detail. The new public consultation will close on August 4.