Dumping of


Radioactive Waste


 at Port Clarence?


 Have Your Say

Scott Hunter

23 June 2025


Public consultation on the proposed dumping of low level radioactive waste at the Port Clarence Landfill Site opened today, 23 June, and will run until 4 August.



The Environment Agency has published the following overview of the application by Augean North Ltd (Port Clarence Landfill Site, TS2 1UE; Revised Environmental Safety Case for Low Level Radioactive Waste Permit Application - Environment Agency - Citizen Space):


Overview


Augean North Ltd (Augean) has applied for permission to dispose of Low Level Radioactive Waste at their Port Clarence Landfill Site in Teesside. This site has two existing permitted landfills: one for hazardous waste and one for non-hazardous waste. The application seeks to allow radioactive waste disposal in both. 


Augean submitted its application on 14 August 2019. Following a public consultation and our review of the Environmental Safety Case (ESC) that supported their application, we requested more information on 17 September 2020. In response to this request Augean has now submitted a revised ESC and a document which addresses each of our requests in detail. The ESC now contains a non-technical summary of the application. An ESC details how the applicant proposes to safely manage these wastes.


The revised ESC is a large document, and we have summarised the most significant changes below: 


  • a more detailed assessment of the potential evolution of the coastline and Tees Estuary and the impacts this may have on the landfill 
  • a more detailed assessment of the potential for flooding of the site due to extreme weather conditions / storm surge, or as a result of future climate change 
  • new and revised scenarios for assessing impacts to humans and the environment from the waste following closure of the landfill 
  • demonstration that the Port Clarence Landfill provides an optimised approach for the disposal of all LLW streams covered by the permit application 
  • additional information on the proposed environmental monitoring programme 

Our technical assessment is ongoing, and we welcome comments on the new information received. Public consultation helps us to take account of any information that people think is relevant to our decision making. It also gives people the opportunity to understand what is proposed.


You can view the revised ESC and the responses from the applicant to the further information we requested by scrolling to the documents at the bottom of this page.


Providing comments


We can take account of:

  • relevant environmental regulatory requirements
  • information on local population and sensitive sites
  • comments on whether the right process is being proposed for the activity, for example whether the technology is the right one
  • the shape and use of the land around the site in terms of its potential impact, whether that impact is acceptable and what pollution control or abatement may be required
  • any incorrect information in the ESC


We cannot take account of:

  • the strength of public opinion about the disposal of low level radioactive waste at Port Clarence landfill site. However, we do recognise that people may be strongly opposed to the idea of this type of waste being disposed near to their community but our evaluation must remain focused on the requirements set out in the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR)

  • issues beyond those in the relevant environmental regulations
  • anything outside the remit of the EPR. For example the proposed location of the site
  • the impact of noise and odour from traffic travelling to and from the site
  • the legally defined process we follow to determine a permit

Why your views matter

We are consulting on this important document to give people the opportunity to understand the proposed safety methods for accepting these wastes and provide us with any information they think is relevant to our decision making.


Have your say

Online Survey

 

TVM Comment


The Environment Agency cannot take account of the strength opinion about the disposal of radioactive waste near their community (it is concerned only with technical issues). This raises the question of who might be able to take account of such opinion. The proposal, which has been around since 2019, was strongly opposed by the former Stockton North MP, now retired, Alex Cunningham (as reported here). His successor, Chris McDonald may also be interested in the views of those living within the constituency boundaries (email: chris.mcdonald.mp@parliament.uk).


Given that the Tees Valley as a whole is at risk of becoming the dumping ground of choice for waste from many regions across the UK, other local MPs may also be interested in the opinion of their constituents on this issue. Their contact details are here:


Stockton South:  matt.vickers.mp@parliament.uk

Hartlepool:    jonathan.brash.mp@parliament.uk

Middlesbrough and Thornaby East:  andy.mcdonald.2nd@parliament.uk

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland: luke.myer.mp@parliament.uk

Redcar:  anna.turley.mp@parliament.uk