Corporate report

CoRWM: 20th annual report, 2023 to 2024 (accessible webpage)

Published 22 November 2024

Chair’s statement

It continues to be an honour and a privilege to be the Chair of CoRWM.

CoRWM was founded in 2003 as a means for the UK government and the devolved administrations to obtain independent scientific and technical advice on the long-term management of radioactive waste and it has faithfully followed this remit ever since. In founding the Committee, the government followed the same model as is now found in most countries with civil nuclear capacity, thus demonstrating that it was drawing on the most up-to-date thinking as well as providing scrutiny of the main bodies involved in dealing with radioactive waste, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and its subsidiary, Nuclear Waste Services (NWS), as well as offering reassurance to the community at large.

The Committee’s remit has never been more apposite. Nuclear power is on an upswing as a whole series of different projects, publications and policies show. Think only of the UK government’s 24-Gigawatt new nuclear ambition, outlined in the Nuclear Roadmap, that would firmly entrench nuclear as a key part of the UK energy portfolio, or the setting up of Great British Nuclear, bringing with it the associated push for Small Modular Reactors, or the new policy paper “Managing Radioactive Substances and Nuclear Decommissioning” which brings together radioactive waste policy across the UK.  As the latter policy paper demonstrates, the growth of nuclear cannot take place without an associated emphasis on management of radioactive waste, of which the most hazardous will be bound for a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF).

The result of the heightened level of activity around waste, and the corresponding weight that it puts on CoRWM’s role, is that this has been an exceptionally busy year for the Committee. It has involved both revisiting recurring problems and exploring a raft of new issues. So, for example, whereas the previous year centred on wastes from Fusion reactors, a good part of CoRWM’s attention this year has been devoted to the wastes from Small and Advanced Modular reactors. In both cases, there are waste implications that need to be thoroughly studied, and that is when the broad set of skills that CoRWM members have comes into play to make that both easier and, oft times, exciting.

Progressing a GDF becomes ever more relevant as the new nuclear programme progresses. But the GDF is not the only means of dealing with waste. Other avenues are also being considered by NWS – especially the potential for near surface disposal for some suitable intermediate level wastes.  The Committee has also been studying interim storage of radioactive waste.

None of this is to forget the work carried out by the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland is reviewing its Higher Activity Radioactive Waste Policy and CoRWM has been involved in the process. In Wales, Trawsfynydd and Wylfa are both potential sites for new civil nuclear activity, and Trawsfynydd is also a lead and learn site for the decommissioning of the Magnox fleet. CoRWM visited Trawsfynydd in September 2023 to see the issues close at hand. All administrations have jointly developed the aforementioned policy paper on Managing Radioactive Substances and Nuclear Decommissioning, which CoRWM have advised on.

One other part of CoRWM’s work is public communication. The Committee is not just a source of sound advice to government and the devolved administrations, it also strives to act as an impartial source of advice for the public in an arena where opinions can sometimes be polarised. CoRWM’s task is to thread its way through the diverse views on offer by providing opinions and facts based on the most up-to-date evidence and research and the Committee members’ wide experience.

It is clear that CoRWM has been able to influence both radioactive waste policy and practice. This is a pressing and sometimes onerous responsibility, but it is one which the Committee willingly takes up, and for good reason.  How radioactive waste is managed and disposed of is of critical importance for the UK since not only does it involve complex issues in the present day, not all of which are easy to solve or have a single right answer, but it also involves issues which are going to continue to challenge future generations for many years to come. As part of our public communication role, CoRWM has a schedule of open plenary meetings in England, Scotland and Wales which feature speakers talking on a miscellany of different issues concerned with radioactive waste. The latest details on these meetings can be found on the CoRWM website.

To chair a committee like CoRWM inevitably means incurring all kinds of debts.  In particular, I want to acknowledge the wise counsel of CoRWM’s 2 Deputy Chairs, Professor Penny Harvey and Derek Lacey.  Equally, I want to thank all of the other Committee members for their energy, enthusiasm, and hard work which has routinely reached beyond the call of duty over and over again.

One member of the Committee left over the course of the year. Dr Catherine Mackenzie decided to leave the Committee to pursue various judicial commitments. We will miss her comments on all aspects of nuclear waste.

I also want to thank the CoRWM Secretariat – Adam Draude, Josie Carlton and Shub Seera - for their hard work.  The Secretariat is the Committee’s backbone and it has worked particularly well this year.

Let me conclude this introduction by restating my firm belief that the Committee’s work is of genuine national importance, both through the provision of a means of oversight of the diverse aspects of radioactive waste management and disposal that are arising from the wide range of developments taking place in the nuclear industry and in government policy, and as a means of keeping the trust of the public that there is a clear, coherent and safe strategy for managing radioactive waste, one constructed on the firm foundations of impartial scientific and technical advice.

Sir Nigel Thrift
Chair, Committee on Radioactive Waste Management

Executive summary

This Annual Report covers the full range of CoRWM activities in 2023-2024 and the associated documents that have resulted from them.

Through numerous Committee meetings, visits and events, we have interacted continuously with our sponsors, the regulators, and the general public.

In all, we contributed 439 working days giving out advice to the UK government and the devolved administrations and scrutinising the activities of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and Nuclear Waste Services (NWS).

Our advice and counsel were sought on many different issues, far too many to list in detail here. However, the highlights included:

• advice, support and scrutiny of NDA and NWS on a range of issues, including: community engagement; the storage of radioactive waste, the potential of near surface disposal for less hazardous intermediate level waste; GDF costs and project management; materials not currently designated as waste; the safety case for a GDF; regulatory issues, and the first annual assessment of progress towards a GDF;
• work with the Environment Agency, Office for Nuclear Regulation, and the Planning Inspectorate on a series of issues, including the efficacy of an Underground Research Facility (URF) and the Development Consent Order (DCO) process;
• continuing lines of work on the efficacy of an URF for a GDF, and the appropriate balance between geology, engineering and cost in identifying a suitable location for a GDF;
• publication of new position papers 2023-24 including the use of robotics in a GDF, management of uranics, and the management of wastes and spent fuels from Small and Advanced Modular Reactors (SMRs and AMRs);
• study trips to Harwell, Trawsfynydd, and Dounreay.

1. Introduction

1.1 This is the twentieth Annual Report of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM).  It describes the Committee’s work in the financial year from April 2023 to March 2024 and outlines CoRWM’s current views on the status of the UK government and the devolved administrations’ plans and current arrangements for the management of radioactive waste.

Scope of CoRWM’s work

1.2 CoRWM’s sponsors are the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (of the UK government), the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland.  The Committee’s work programme for 2023/24 was agreed with its sponsors and carried out within CoRWM’s agreed budget (Annex A).

1.3 The purpose of the Committee is to give independent advice, based upon its remit and utilising the skills and expertise of its members, and to provide informed scrutiny of the available evidence to UK government and devolved administration ministers on the management of radioactive waste, arising from civil and where relevant defence nuclear programmes, including storage and disposal.

1. 1.4 CoRWM’s specific objectives are to provide independent scrutiny and evidence-based advice:
   1. a. To ministers of the UK government and devolved administrations on NDA and NWS proposals, plans and programmes to deliver geological disposal, together with robust interim storage, for the UK’s higher activity radioactive waste, including materials not yet declared as waste.
   2. b. On other radioactive waste management issues as requested by sponsor ministers, including advice requested by the Scottish government in relation to its policy for the management of radioactive wastes.

1.5 In addition, the Committee is also charged with community and public engagement concerning the issues within its remit.

1.6 The Committee was set up as a non-departmental public body (NDPB) so that it could retain the confidence of ministers and the public that its advice on radioactive waste is truly independent. This status continues to be vital for its credibility. CoRWM’s full terms of reference can be found on its website.^{[footnote 1]}

1.7 In fulfilling its remit to provide this independent and evidence-based advice, CoRWM is expected to maintain an overview of issues relevant to the delivery of the UK government and devolved administrations’ radioactive waste management programmes. It should bring to the attention of sponsor ministers issues that it considers to be either: a) positive and worthy of note; or b) concerns that, in the Committee’s opinion, need to be addressed.

1.8 During its work in the past year, CoRWM has primarily engaged with officials within the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, the NDA and NWS (NWS is a developer and operator for radioactive waste disposal infrastructure). The Committee has also engaged with officials in DAERA in Northern Ireland and with all of the nuclear safety, security, and environmental regulators.

CoRWM membership

1.9 Membership of the Committee consists of a Chair and 11 members. 

1.10 One member has vacated the Committee this year.

CoRWM’s outreach activities

1.11 The Committee remains committed to holding plenary meetings in public. CoRWM held 4 such meetings in May, September, November and March of the Financial Year 2023-24, with presentations open to members of the public given by Prof Claire Corkhill (University of Bristol & CoRWM member), Cat Tully (School of International Futures), Una Baker (Nuclear Energy Agency), and Prof Graham Winch (University of Manchester). The minutes of these meetings are available at the link below.^{[footnote 2]}

1.12 During the year, members have presented at a large number of events run by other organisations, including NWS, the International Nuclear Law Association, the British Geological Survey, GDF Community Partnerships, the Western European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA), and the Organisation for Economic Development’s Nuclear Energy Agency.  CoRWM considers it important for the Committee to engage fully with a wide range of stakeholders to gain an understanding of their views and concerns on radioactive waste management in the UK and to inform them of CoRWM’s conclusions on a range of issues.

1.13 Committee members have also made several television appearances and participated in numerous radio programmes and podcasts.

1.14 All of the 1,500 plus open documents which comprise CoRWM’s long history are now available on the National Archives website, named by document number.  Also available on the website is a searchable Excel spreadsheet to make it easier to see what content is available and to find documents of interest.^{[footnote 3]} 

2. Delivery of 2023 to 2024 Work Programme

2.1 Communications and Working with Communities

Overall Task: Scrutiny of and advice to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Welsh Government, NDA and NWS on communication strategy and activities related to the implementation of Working with Communities policy, related GDF and engagement documents, and exploration of near surface disposal for less hazardous intermediate level waste.

Task: To scrutinise implementation of the Working with Communities policies in England and Wales.

Subgroup 1 (SG1) has followed the work of the Community Partnerships (CP) in Allerdale, South Copeland and Mid Copeland, Theddlethorpe and the formation of a Working Group in Holderness.

Allerdale: We discussed the process for NWS’s withdrawal from Allerdale with NWS and were satisfied with the rationale for the decision to withdraw and the efforts made to ensure that the Allerdale CP was well informed about the process and technical underpinning. We were also pleased to learn of the efforts made to acknowledge the work of the Allerdale CP in support of the siting process, and to thank them for their work. The winding down of the Community Investment Funding was also clearly communicated, with assurances that all current commitments will be met. The withdrawal did provoke some anxiety in other Partnerships but the reasons for it seem generally to have been understood and accepted.

The withdrawal of Holderness from the siting process was clearly a setback. The timing of the announcement of the Holderness Working Group was problematic given ongoing discussions of national election possibilities that had begun in early 2024. However, we feel that there is now an urgency to secure a further community as was always envisaged, in order to increase the likelihood of securing a willing community with suitable geology.

South Copeland have had to manage the re-drawing of the electoral wards with the formation of the unitary Cumberland Council. The South Copeland CP is now stretched across 2 quite separate ‘communities’ in the south and north of the search area that can pose logistical problems and the challenge that the CP does not identify as a singular social entity at the current time.

Mid Copeland continues to be generally supportive of the siting process, and several residents and CP members attended events held in Drigg (organised by S. Copeland CP). NWS’s own survey materials suggest that they need to ensure continual engagement activities in this area, as indicators of support drop when such activity lapses.

The Theddlethorpe CP requested support for doorstep engagement with local residents as part of an initiative to engage a broader public.  NWS have appointed a new Community Engagement Manager for East Lincolnshire and a programme of activities are planned for the Spring and Summer.

NWS also facilitated a visit for South and Mid Copeland, and Theddlethorpe Community Partnerships to the British Geological Survey (BGS) in Nottingham. CoRWM was able to join that visit. It was very informative and there was enthusiastic engagement between CP members and BGS staff.

As reported last year, the Partnerships are allocating the Community Investment Funding that is available to communities in the siting process. However, it is CoRWM’s view that further thought should be given to how to maximise the benefits of this funding, to build local engagement and to strengthen the alignment between the communities and the CP.

SG1 has held quarterly meetings with the Communications and Engagement team in NWS in which we discussed the siting programme, local engagement activities, communications and media engagement both locally and nationally, and the importance of international comparison and cross-sector comparisons. We also discuss social media strategy.

In general terms we note a step-change in the presentation of the narratives concerning the programme of geological research. The new approach has greatly clarified the place of seismic survey data in relation to a long-term programme of building the evidence necessary to support robust design and safety cases. At the same time this level of understanding also makes it clear to many that the overall siting and development process will involve decades of further research. For many residents these periods of uncertainty can be experienced as problematic.

Task: To act as a source of independent information to communities in the geological siting process if approached, and to ensure that the work of the Committee (including key position papers) is visible and accessible to communities.

We have made efforts to ensure that Working Groups and Community Partnerships are aware of CoRWM’s work, the wide range of expertise of committee members, and the rich archive of documentation on the website. Penelope Harvey and Claire Corkhill attended public meetings in South Copeland (Millom and Drigg) and encouraged people to visit the website and to attend CoRWM’s open plenary meetings. Penelope Harvey also accepted a request to speak to the Theddlethorpe CP, and subsequently to the local Parish and Town Councillors in East Lincolnshire. In both meetings she discussed the range of expertise of contemporary CoRWM members and directed people to our recent position papers and the web archive.

Task: To engage with other CoRWM subgroups to ensure a focus on community engagement across the full range of CoRWM’s work.

There is strong engagement with other subgroups both at our quarterly plenary meetings, and on joint visits to sites of interest to the wider committee. Members of SG1 are also closely involved in other subgroups (including SG2, SG3, SG5 and SG6).

SG1 members (Claire Corkhill, Ray Kemp and Nigel Thrift) joined a trip with NWS colleagues to Bure hosted by Andra in June 2023. In March 2024 CoRWM also visited both the Dounreay and the Vulcan sites in Scotland. In all these spaces the focus on community engagement is integrated into our general discussions.

Task: Scrutiny and provision of advice to NWS on public engagement and communication of the GDF safety case in collaboration with other CoRWM subgroups.

Penelope Harvey attended the NWS Conference held in Bolton Stadium, in April 2023. The meeting was well attended by, and hence a good route for engagement with, the supply chain, Community Partnerships; ONR, EA, and representatives from Posiva, Andra and NWMO, Canada.

In September 2023 Penelope Harvey met with Jamie Matear from NWMO, the Canadian waste management organisation and Annabelle Lillycrop (NWS) to discuss the Canadian siting and engagement programme in more detail, to hear from Jamie about his visit to the CPs in the UK, and to learn from the comparisons between the 2 social contexts. Annabelle is making 2 subsequent follow up visits to Canada to learn more about their siting process.

PH joined the NWS Community Engagement Advisory Panel (as a member of CoRWM) with co-members Ben Belfadhel (formerly NWMO), Claes Thegerström (formerly SKB) and Eugenie Turton. The panel met in June 2023 and again in November 2023 with a focus on discussion of a potential early Test of Public Support.

CoRWM is very supportive of NWS’s initiative to set up a UK youth forum which will meet in the summer of 2024. This forum, delivered by the Young Foundation and Arup, will bring together 16-25-year-olds to give this age group a voice and enable more engagement in the siting process. There are excellent opportunities here to begin to think more deeply about intergenerational and future generation issues. 

NWS also arranged an informative briefing from consultants Yonder, concerning the survey materials that they are producing for NWS to support the building of a detailed picture of the engagement and understanding profiles in the current Search Areas.

Task: Inform and update NWS/NDA of the ways in which social sciences and humanities research can support their mission. Organise an event with leading social scientists and NWS senior team to discuss the potential contribution of this knowledge base. 

SG1 continues to make the case for greater investment in social science expertise to support the GDF siting and engagement programme. We have engaged extensively with NWS senior management, with the siting and communications teams, and with the NWS Research Support Office (RSO). In October 2023, we organised a social science event in London, which was attended by NWS senior management. Presentations from 2 leading social scientists, Professors Sarah Whatmore (Oxford) and Ash Amin (Cambridge) provoked good discussion and a greater awareness of the possibilities that social science research could bring. The event was welcomed by NWS, but as yet has not resulted in the building of any further in-house expertise although in March 2024 an internal re-organisation of responsibilities has ensured a more dedicated focus on social science agendas.

Members of the subgroup (Penelope Harvey and Claire Corkhill) are actively involved with the NWS Research Support Office (RSO). Sir Nigel Thrift delivered a guest lecture at the RSO annual conference, held at the University of Sheffield in January 2024. Penelope Harvey continues to advise on their calls for Ph.D. bursaries in the social sciences and has worked with the in-house team in the drafting and delivery of these research opportunities, and in the support of the students recruited. There are now 4 social science research projects underway, with collaborations from Teesside, Cambridge, Portsmouth, Exeter, and a further 2 in the pipeline (advertised and currently in the selection and recruitment process). At the RSO annual conference we also strengthened links with Lincoln University, and collectively planned a workshop to bring this emerging academic grouping together with NWS colleagues in May 2024, with a view to expanding the social science network for the hosting of a wider conference in 2025.

Task: advice on communication around exploration of near surface disposal for less hazardous intermediate level waste.

We have not explored the potential for near surface disposal of intermediate level waste with local communities in any detail. We note that in mid-Copeland the possibilities of using the LLWR at Drigg for the disposal of suitable intermediate level waste has provoked some local concern.

2.2 Site evaluation

Overall Task: Scrutiny of and advice to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and NWS on the GDF siting process, including technical evaluation criteria & plans for site investigation and characterisation.

2A Scrutiny of and advice to the Department for Energy Security and Net zero and NWS on technical site evaluation approach.

Subgroup 2 has held a series of quarterly meetings this year with NWS.  A regular schedule of dates has also been agreed throughout 2024/5 for update meetings with NWS in relation to the site evaluation process and evolving site characterisation developments with specific focus topics raised by CoRWM during this period, as deemed appropriate.

2B Scrutiny and provision of advice to Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and NWS on activities relating to the continued development of a GDF safety case and the role of an underground research facility (URF).

Subgroup 2 has progressed significantly the position paper in relation to the consideration of the need for an URF as an integral part of the development process toward the permitting, licencing and construction of a GDF. Historical work undertaken by the committee during 2009 to 2011 in relation to a URF has also been identified and incorporated into the draft version as appropriate. 

2C Scrutiny and provision of advice to NWS on GDF siting activities, including selection criteria, methods of investigation, and the timescale for carrying out site selection in different rock types.

The subgroup has been involved in various meetings and discussions in relation to the siting activities for the GDF, in particular the progress with Community Partnerships over 2023/2024 in Cumbria (now Cumberland) and Lincolnshire. 

A series of areas of focus for discussion and advice in the last year have been in relation to the following:

• The role of an URF as part of the technical evaluation for an operational GDF;
• review and update CoRWM’s position on retrievability from a GDF of parts of the radioactive waste inventory for disposal, including new build programme wastes and radioactive materials that may become waste in the future;
• review of the latest NWS GDF site characterisation workstreams and timeline for site understanding, planning for site investigations (boreholes) and procurement of a site characterisation delivery partner;
• Further input on the NWS forthcoming report, Geological Disposal A Review of Alternative Waste Management options, including a detailed commentary on the updated draft report shared by NWS.  This work considers any potential developments or alternative technologies for the management and disposal of radioactive waste, and continuing to follow NDA’s exploration of near surface disposal for specific intermediate level waste.

Subgroup 2 continue to review progress in relation to these topics and will consider position papers on these topics as this work matures.

Subgroup 2 has also continued to review in detail the aspects of inventory which directly relate to the existing and future radioactive wastes to be disposed of within any GDF, work programmes for site evaluation and transportation of radioactive waste and nuclear materials.  This has included a significant exercise to consider the implications of the enhanced government target to deliver 24GW of new nuclear power generation on the Inventory for Geological Disposal and the likely mix of reactor types and the volume and activity levels of the new waste that will be generated. 

2D Provision of Subgroup 2 related advice to Working Groups and Community Partnerships involved in the GDF siting process. 

Subgroup 2 remains available to engage with Community Partnerships and will continue to follow the developments in the year ahead from a technical delivery perspective.

2E Review CoRWM’s previous position in relation to retrievability of waste from a GDF.

Subgroup 2 has progressed a review and the technical work for a position paper considering and updating CoRWM’s position in relation to retrievability of radioactive waste from a GDF. 

2F Review of proposed GDF site investigation programmes, including data sampling and testing regimes. 

Subgroup 2 has taken an overview of the approach to the detailed geological site characterisation process and the development of the site descriptive models for the different geological settings during 2023/2024, including the Copeland geological assessments and seismic study outputs as they emerge and are developed. CoRWM has offered advice and guidance on the emerging geological interpretation and intended next steps.

2.3 GDF Process, Policy Implementation, Planning and Regulation

Overall Task: Scrutiny of and advice to the Department for Energy Security Net Zero and NWS on activities related to GDF licensing and the implementation of the Geological Disposal programme

Introduction

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of this past year’s work by Subgroup 3 (SG3) has been the extent of wider interaction in its work with other members of CoRWM. This in part reflects the fact that planning and regulatory issues cannot be addressed in isolation but require a considered understanding of the substantive context and practical / technical issues that long-term, sustainable radioactive waste management presents. As a result, several meetings of SG3 with both NWS and various regulators have benefited from the interest shown and input from the wider committee. SG3 is also grateful to the numerous stakeholders that have engaged with us so productively during the many meetings held during the past year.

Underground Research Facility (URF)

SG3 members attended the visit in June 2023 to the Bure Underground Research Laboratory hosted by the French radioactive waste management organisation ANDRA. Of particular interest from SG3’s perspective were the morning discussions regarding the role of the French regulators and planning authorities in ensuring public and environmental safety. In the afternoon, CoRWM members were accompanied 490 m below ground to see at first hand the construction, management, and various research activities involved in the Bure URL. Key issues that members focussed on during and after the visit included:

• The advantages and disadvantages of a URF facility that is separate from the eventual proposed GDF. This includes the contribution of research studies both in terms of the performance of the host rock as part of a multi-barrier containment approach, and in response to different engineering construction techniques.
• The relevance of transfer of applicable knowledge from other URFs (such as at Bure) to NWS’s proposed approach for the UK.
• The French approach to “reversibility” as set out in law (otherwise referred to as waste retrievability) and how that relates to CoRWM’s existing position on the topic.
• The French approach to licencing their proposed GDF – the “CIGEO” facility – which is very much an iterative /interactive process and includes a defined period of pilot operation - without waste emplacement.

Subsequent to the visit to Bure, SG3 has been considering the role and function of URFs. CoRWM continues to challenge and encourage NWS to consider the role of a URF. In particular, how a URF can support the development consent order for the construction and operation of a GDF.

Environmental Permitting

CoRWM understands that the Environment Agency (EA) is progressing with an updated Guidance on Requirements for Authorisation (GRA) of radioactive waste disposal facilities (including a GDF), and CoRWM looks forward to its publication in 2024 not least in relation to the EA’s position on the nature and extent of in situ data it will require of NWS as part of the permitting process.

SG3 has taken a close interest in environmental permitting generally this past year. One element relates to intrusive investigations as part of NWS site evaluation programme. We were given a helpful overview of the process and NWS’s understanding of the work required for “staged regulation”. Discussions included the so-called “Rochdale Envelope” concept, that is the extent to which a single planning permission can be sufficiently flexible to allow development – in this case numerous investigation works – within and across the area applied for.

Transport of Radioactive Waste

Another developing area of interest for SG3 during the past year has been in relation to the transport of radioactive waste and the GDF programme. Following helpful initial discussions with both NWS and Nuclear Transport Services (NTS) SG3 developed a proposal for a Position Paper on the Transport of radioactive Waste in January 2024. The intention is to review the strategic implications and opportunities for the transport of radioactive material from Sellafield and other locations in England to a GDF sited either within or outside Cumbria, and to provide advice to DESNZ and the NDA.

We are interested to learn more about not only the regulation but also the “social licence to operate” implications should some 200,000 packages say, need to be transported from one side of the country to the other. Much was learned from recent transport of material from Dounreay to Sellafield, and noting “CAT 3” materials are transported on a daily basis.  Further meetings with interested parties are planned for 2024/25.

Policy Consultation and Position Paper on AMRs/SMRs

Last but by no means least, SG3 members have supported much of the past year’s detailed responses to major policy consultations: on managing radioactive substances and nuclear decommissioning; and consultations on alternative Routes to Market for  new nuclear projects, and on the approach to siting. SG3 members have also been active in contributing to the CoRWM Position Paper on AMRs/SMRs, which includes consideration of the regulatory issues around these technologies. Particular thanks are due to Stephen Tromans KC and Dr Derek Lacey.

2.4 Scottish Government Activities

Overall Task: Scrutiny of and advice to the Scottish Government (SG) on the management of radioactive waste in Scotland.

Subgroup 4 (SG4) expanded in 2024, with the welcome addition of Professor Malcom Joyce to the subgroup, bringing additional expertise and resource.

4A Ongoing advice and input into the implementation of the Higher Activity Waste Radioactive Waste Policy 2011 and Higher Activity Radioactive Waste Strategy 2016.  SG4 are continuing to undertake work to take stock of the implementation of the 2011 Policy and 2016 Strategy and the review currently taking place.

Subgroup 4 were pleased to see the reestablishment of the Higher Activity Waste in Scotland Strategy Implementation Group (HAWSSIG) by Scottish Government at the start of 2024. The group has been reconvened to review the Higher Activity Radioactive Waste Strategy 2016, which the Scottish Government committed to review after 10 years. The review is timely as Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) are now in a decommissioning phase with a focus on decommissioning waste storage and disposal. Subgroup 4 attended the first meeting of the HAWSSIG with a focus on terms of reference and scope for the group and the review. There was also discussion on research and development needs and aims, CoRWM highlighted opportunities for research and development through the Nuclear Waste Services Research Support Office (RSO). We look forward to the HAWSSIG work developing over the next 24 months to provide technical advice to the Scottish Government to inform their decision making.

4B Scrutiny of and advice to the Scottish Government on the management of radioactive waste in Scotland.

Subgroup 4 welcome the work that Scottish Government has undertaken in 2023 to establish baseline data on the perceptions of nuclear waste across the nation through a survey. We look forward to seeing and discussing the results in 2024. The Scottish Government also undertook work with the NDA to scope conceptual designs for Scottish near surface disposal facilities. Members of subgroup 4 were able to attend a preview meeting of the results of the scoping in late 2023, and in early 2024 this work was presented to stakeholders and partners of the Scottish Nuclear Sites. CoRWM highlighted the opportunities to share knowledge more broadly across the devolved administrations through the NDA particularly for near surface disposal.

In late-March CoRWM members were able to undertake site visits to both NRS Dounreay and the Vulcan Naval Facilities on the North Coast of Scotland. The visit to NRS Dounreay provided opportunity to see and hear about the work and plan for the wet-silo and shaft waste recovery. CoRWM members were also able to visit the LLW disposal facility to see the initial grouting of containers first- hand, and to see the processing of spent fuel on the main site. The visit to Vulcan provided insight into the types of waste that, subject to government approval, will ultimately be transferred to NRS and to understand the current storage and facilities onsite. We thank both NRS Dounreay and Vulcan for facilitating our visits.

2.5 Welsh Government Activities

Overall Task: Monitor Welsh Government (WG) activities

Professor Barry Lennox joined the subgroup and is a very welcome addition. The subgroup has continued to liaise regularly with the representative of the Welsh Government to keep informed of developments in Wales and to provide information on CoRWM initiatives.  In particular CoRWM welcomed the extensive input from Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales on its draft Position Paper on waste from SMRs and AMRs, particularly as sites in Wales are very likely to be proposed to host such reactors.  The Welsh Government has been very involved in the development of the UK-wide policy revision on managing radioactive substances and nuclear decommissioning.

Contact has been initiated with the industry forum, Wales Nuclear Forum, which will be helpful in making contacts and gaining information on nuclear developments generally.  With the purchase of land at Wylfa from Hitachi giving the government control over the site, development can be expected, and the Committee is planning a visit to Wylfa in 2024.

As foreshadowed in last year’s report, a visit took place in September to Trawsfynydd to see progress on decommissioning and fuel storage.  This was a very useful visit. Reactor buildings have been deplanted and prepared for size reduction.  We saw boxes of material in the new intermediate level waste store ready to be transported to a GDF, once available. The reactor decommissioning strategy is being developed. Retrieval of intermediate level waste and its encapsulation are near completion (due 2024).  Trawsfynydd is designated by NDA/NRS as a “lead and learn” site for decommissioning and therefore we will aim to watch progress closely.  It is intended to leave some below ground contaminated structures in place. 

We have not taken forward as yet the suggestion in last year’s work plan of a Position Paper on Wales, as it seemed sensible to await finalisation of revised UK-wide policy, which was published on 16 May.  However, SG5 did, with input from WG, produce a briefing paper for CoRWM members on the legal and constitutional position in Wales.  In addition, Cat Tully, Managing Director of the School of International Futures, gave a presentation at the September Open Plenary in Cardiff on intergenerational solidarity and cohesion with particular reference to Wales.

2.6 Storage of Waste, Spent Fuel and Nuclear Materials

Overall Task: Scrutiny of and advice to the Department for Energy and Net Zero and NDA on the management of radioactive waste, spent fuel and nuclear materials that may be destined for disposal

CoRWM subgroup 6 had 3 meetings with NDA strategy and NDA/NWS for updates on current activities related to integrated waste management and the management of spent fuel and nuclear materials and to provide CoRWM with information to inform its future work programme.

In July 2023 the subgroup visited the Waste Treatment Complex at Sellafield. These facilities receive, process and store plutonium contaminated material (PCM) which has been generated over many decades and will be disposed in a geological disposal facility.

In August 2023 CoRWM published a position paper on management and disposal options for the UK’s uranium inventory. This inventory, although not declared as waste, is included in the UK’s inventory for disposal for planning purposes and is a significant part of that inventory by volume.

Task 1 Monitoring and providing advice on NDA Integrated Waste Management developments including boundary, difficult wastes in Scotland and strategic direction.

CoRWM has continued to gather information on how integrated waste management is being implemented and developed within the constituent parts of the NDA.

CoRWM has been briefed on work at Sellafield on a higher activity waste thermal treatment programme. This work is being conducted to evaluate the potential for the implementation of thermal treatment to condition various waste streams for disposal. The programme has drawn on more than a decade of research and development to assess the value and viability of the method for different waste streams and is currently preparing information for a series of decisions on whether to implement thermal treatment on an industrial scale.

Task 2 To scrutinise and advise DESNZ and NDA on the potential for near surface disposal of some less hazardous ILW.

CoRWM has considered available information and provided advice to DESNZ and NDA on near surface disposal since the potential for development of an alternative disposal option for a part of the inventory of higher activity waste was noted by NDA during its third strategy. CoRWM has continued to monitor NDA work on this option which was considered more fully in NDA’s fourth strategy as an opportunity which had the potential to accelerate and facilitate more effective delivery of their mission.

During 2023/24 CoRWM provided advice in relation to near surface disposal in its response to the government consultation on Managing radioactive substances and nuclear decommissioning. CoRWM was also provided with information on NDA work to evaluate the potential for development of this option at surface and at depth.

Task 3 To advise on the implications of a UK programme of SMRs and AMRs for radioactive waste management.

CoRWM has monitored UK and international activity related to the potential deployment of SMRs and AMRs because of the UK government’s ambition to generate 24GW of electricity using nuclear power by 2050. CoRWM has focused on the implications for the management of higher activity wastes and spent fuel including the nature and size of the inventory for disposal in a geological disposal facility. CoRWM has also considered the potential impact of deployment of AMRs on the progress towards an operational geological disposal facility.

CoRWM’s deliberations on this topic resulted in the publication of a position paper and provided the basis for CoRWM’s responses to government consultations on A National Policy Statement for new nuclear power generation and on Alternative Routes to Market for New Nuclear Projects.

2.7 Position Papers and Reports

The position papers issued by CoRWM in 2023-2024 are set out in table 1 below.

Table 1: CoRWM Position Papers and Reports 2023-2024

Name	Content	Date Updated
Development of small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced modular reactors (AMRs): CoRWM position paper	This paper focuses on the implications for the management of higher activity wastes and spent fuel resulting from the development of SMRs and AMRs.	9th February 2024
Potential use of robotic systems in the geological disposal facility	Report looking at the potential use of robotic and autonomous systems in the UK’s geological disposal facility (GDF).	27th September 2023
Delivery of an operational geological disposal facility (GDF): progress report 2023	The first in a series of CoRWM Annual Reports on the progress towards the delivery of an operational geological disposal facility (GDF).	10th August 2023
UK uranium inventory, management and disposal options: CoRWM position paper	In this position paper, CoRWM considers the UK uranium inventory, its management and the disposal options.	1st August 2023

3. Forward Look

3.1 The Committee’s focus for 2024-25 is now firmly fixed on the siting process for geological disposal.

3.2 Particular note is currently being taken of the emerging results from the seismic survey carried out off the shore of Cumbria, and the existing  seismic data available for both Copeland and Theddlethorpe, as well as the pivotal role of community engagement and support.

3.3 The Committee will continue to work with NDA to better understand its assumptions and strategy for managing the UK radioactive waste inventory and especially how waste at the boundaries of intermediate and low-level activity classification can be re-assigned so as to contribute to a more effective sorting of waste streams. It will further examine the prospect of near surface disposal for specific intermediate level wastes. It will also consider the implications of prolonged interim storage.

3.4 The Committee will produce a second Annual Review of Progress on the GDF.

1. 5 The Committee will keep abreast of, and advise on, the efficacy of relevant new technological developments to the GDF. It will also continue to consider the role of technological foresight more widely, given the extended period of time for construction and operation of a GDF.

3.6  The Committee will continue to study the nature and disposition of materials not currently classified as waste.

3.7 The Committee will continue to study and make recommendations on the nature of the wastes likely to arise from small and advanced modular reactors, and how these reactors can be designed and assessed both to minimise the creation of radioactive wastes and to provide assurance that these wastes are able to be placed in a GDF (or can reduce it in the case of waste-burning reactors) 

3.8 Relatedly, the Committee will single out for attention the High Temperature Gas- Cooled Reactor demonstration programme with respect to disposability, including the nature and treatment of coated particle fuel and end of life wastes.

3.9 More generally, the Committee will continue to provide advice to the UK government in the wake of a number of major policy pronouncements on nuclear, and to the Scottish and Welsh Governments on numerous aspects of radioactive waste policy and its implementation, and provide advice to the government in Northern Ireland as and when requested.

1. 10 The Committee will continue to respond to all relevant government consultations.

2. 11 The Committee will continue to remain current with respect to the UK nuclear industry. It has an extensive programme of site visits planned for 2024-25, both in the UK and overseas, so as to observe and report on the progress of a range of different activities and approaches to radioactive waste management.

3.12 The Committee will publish a number of position papers, including: the role of an Underground Research Facility; Transport of material to a GDF; retrievability of waste from a GDF; and the second annual review of GDF progress.

4. Conclusions and Recommendations

4.1 The Committee cleaves to its conclusion, as found in the 2006 assessment, that deep geological disposal is the best long-term solution for safely dealing with the inventory of higher activity radioactive waste.  It cannot currently foresee a realistic scenario in which a GDF would not be a key part this solution. 

4.2  The Committee has amassed an enormous fund of expertise and experience on the whole range of radioactive waste management concerns over twenty years now.  As a result, we believe that the Committee has played a pivotal role, not only in the development of the GDF but of radioactive waste management policy and strategy more generally, not least because its advice is demonstrably independent and therefore provides the public with reassurance and is able to inspire trust. In other words, it provides an essential and objective counterbalance to the influence of organisations which have a direct interest in particular outcomes.  That is why the Committee’s existence as a public body and its independent evidenced-based advice are so important.

4.3 2023-24 was a year full of positive activity and outcomes and there is every expectation that 2024-2025 will follow the same trajectory.

4.4  As already noted, it remains the intention of CoRWM to produce and publish position papers on a range of relevant topics over the coming year, as well as various policy notes where appropriate.

4.5  The attention that the NDA is giving to considering alternative means of disposal for some portions of the waste inventory, the newly published UK-wide Policy on Managing Radioactive Substances and Nuclear Decommissioning and the Nuclear Roadmap will all provide further stimuli for engagement and advice.

4.6 Additionally, we will consider the links between the policy initiatives noted above and Scottish Government’s review of its 2016 Higher Activity Waste Implementation Strategy.

4.7  The Committee has continued to strengthen its engagement with the various regulatory organisations, and this engagement will continue.

4.8 The Committee will continue to pursue various forms of public outreach.

4.9 To conclude, we look forward to another year of progress.

5. Annexes

Annex A: CoRWM Expenditure 2023-2024

CoRWM’s budget and actual expenditure for the year is set out in table 2, split into the main spending areas.  

The budget for 2023/2024 was set at £290,000.

Table 2: CoRWM’s Budget Out-Turn 2023/24

Budget Items	Budget (£k)	Actual (£k)
Members’ Fees1		167,943.61
Members’ Expenses2 Incidental Expenses3 Recruitment and secretariat administration		34,790.61
Total		202,734.22

Notes:

1  Members’ fees include Employer National Insurance Contributions.

2  Members’ expenses include transport costs and incidental
expenses when travelling to meetings, visits or other venues.

3  Meetings and visits include venue and members’ accommodation costs
for Plenary Meeting, visits and other meetings.

The standard fees are those paid at the rates specified in Members’ terms of appointment.  These state that:

1. the Chair can claim £450 a day for up to 78 days per year;
2. the Deputy Chair can claim £380 for up to 49 days per year; and
3. members can each claim £350 a day for up to 49 days in a year.

CoRWM is not required to report the fees that individual members received, but this information is published in the interests of transparency, with table 3 summarising the days worked by each of the CoRWM members in the year period.

Table 3: Days Worked by CoRWM Members

Name	Days Worked	Status
Sir Nigel Thrift	55.4	Chair since July 2018
Penny Harvey	48.79	Member from Nov 2019, Deputy Chair
Derek Lacey	49.25	Member from Nov 2019, Deputy Chair
Stephen Tromans	50.5	Member since Nov 2018
Ray Kemp	43.5	Member from Nov 2019
Mark Kirkbride	36.38	Member from Nov 2019
Claire Corkhill	54.38	Member from Jan 2020
Clare Bond	17.99	Member from Jan 2022
Simon Webb	42	Member from Jan 2022
Catherine Mackenzie	9.31	Member from Jan 2022. Stood down March 2024
Barry Lennox	14.25	Member from July 2023
Malcolm Joyce	17.11	Member from June 2023
Total	438.86

Annex B: CoRWM Membership

Chair: Sir Nigel Thrift

Sir Nigel Thrift was appointed Chair of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management on 2nd July 2018.

Until 2017, Sir Nigel was the Executive Director of Schwarzman Scholars.

Sir Nigel previously served as Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Warwick and as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Oxford.

He is one of the world’s leading human geographers and social scientists. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and a Visiting Professor at Oxford University and Tsinghua University. He is a Deputy Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands.

Current term of office ends: July 2026

Deputy Chair: Penny Harvey

Penny Harvey is Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Manchester.

Penny has an extensive history of research on the social transformations of large-scale infrastructure projects, with a particular focus on the relationship between local communities, government agencies and corporate bodies.

She is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (UK), and an elected member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.

Current term of office ends: November 2027

Deputy Chair: Derek Lacey

Derek is a mechanical engineer with nearly forty years’ experience of public service related to nuclear technology.

He was a Director at the International Atomic Energy Agency from 2014 to 2019 and previously held senior roles as Deputy Chief Inspector in the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and Head of Nuclear and Radioactive Waste Management Policy at the UK Department for Energy and Climate Change.

Current term of office ends: November 2027

Member: Claire Corkhill

Claire is Professor of Mineralogy and Radioactive Waste Management in the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol.

With an academic background in both geology and materials science and engineering, she has over 10 years of experience in researching radioactive waste degradation in geological environments. She has held research fellowships in both the UK and Japan and leads research efforts at the South West Nuclear Hub towards underpinning the disposal of radioactive wastes in subsurface facilities.

Claire is an enthusiastic science communicator and has made numerous media and public appearances in relation to radioactive waste disposal and nuclear decommissioning.

Current term of office ends: January 2028

Member: Clare Bond

Clare Bond is a Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Aberdeen. She has academic, industry, policy and third sector experience spanning a 20+ year career.

Clare specialises in understanding biases and uncertainties in subsurface data interpretation; as well as rock deformation and fluid flow in the Earth’s crust. She applies her research to a range of subsurface challenges including CO2 and nuclear waste storage.

Clare is interested in the communication of science and engineered subsurface solutions, and the engagement of the public.

Current term of office ends: January 2029

Member: Ray Kemp

Ray Kemp has been a Member of the Advisory Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Foods, Consumer Products and the Environment (COC) Public Interest Representative at the UK Department of Health and Social Care from 2013.

In the past, he has worked as an adviser to the Independent Advisory Panel (IAP) for the Australian National Radioactive Waste Management Facility Project.

He has also worked as a Member, then Chair, of the Radiation Health and Safety Advisory Council of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) between 2012 and 2015.

Current term of office ends: November 2027

Member: Mark Kirkbride

Mark Kirkbride has more than 30 years’ experience of underground construction techniques, geotechnical and rock mechanics and project delivery. 

He has been the Chief Executive Officer of West Cumbria Mining since 2014, having previously worked in a wide range of senior roles in the mining, engineering, construction and tunnelling industries.

Mark has relevant experience in the design, planning and construction of complex underground projects, together with extensive stakeholder engagement, community relations and large-scale geotechnical exploration programmes.

Mark is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, a Chartered Engineer and holds a degree in mining engineering and a research masters in geomechanics (underground machine rock cutting).  He was formerly a member of the active British Tunnelling Society committee.

Current term of office ends: November 2027

Member: Stephen Tromans

Stephen Tromans KC is a barrister practising at 39 Essex Chambers, London.

He was Joint Head of Chambers from 2011-2015. He was worked as an academic at Cambridge (1981-1987) and as a solicitor (1987-1999). He became a barrister in 1999 and was appointed King’s Counsel in 2009.

His area of specialism is environmental, energy natural resources and planning law. He has extensive experience of advising companies and government and representing them in court and at public inquiries. He has a particular focus on nuclear law and is the author of the leading text, “Nuclear Law”. He is also the author of leading works on environmental impact assessment and contaminated land and has spoken and written widely on these topics.

He has been a member of the UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA) since its formation in 1986 and has been Chair and a Council member of UKELA. He is also a member of the International Nuclear Law Association (INLA) and a director of INLA UK. From 1994-2002 he was a Council Member of English Nature, the predecessor of Natural England and from 2010-2014 was the Chair of the Environmental Law Foundation (ELF).

Current term of office ends: November 2026

Member: Catherine MacKenzie

Dr Catherine MacKenzie is a barrister
and legal academic.

She is a member of the Faculty of Law of the University of Cambridge, Dean of Degrees of Green Templeton, University of Oxford, and Governing Master of the Bench of Inner Temple (Inn of Court).

Catherine has 25 years’ experience in nuclear law, energy law and international environmental law, including experience with the United Nations, the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, in which she advised on major international energy and infrastructure projects.

Term of office ended: March 2024

Member: Simon Webb

Simon Webb CBE, FICE, specialises in major programmes and strategic change.

An Executive Director at Nichols Group, he has led their work on nuclear decommissioning and warships for the last 10 years, at sites in England, Scotland and Wales. Simon was a non-executive Director of the Major Projects Association from 2010 to 2021.

He is a member of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s Group of Experts on Risk Management in Regulatory Systems.

Previously Simon was a Director-General in the Department of Transport and the Ministry of Defence, responsible for major projects and security policy.

Current term of office ends: January 2029

Member: Malcom Joyce

Malcolm Joyce was appointed to the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) in June 2023.

Malcolm is currently a Distinguished Professor of Nuclear Engineering and interim Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at Lancaster University. With an academic background in radiation detection and nuclear materials assay, he has over 30 years’ experience in researching techniques for nuclear waste assay and decommissioning. He was Head of Engineering at Lancaster (2008-2015) and leads a team of 10 researchers focused on new measurement methods for radioactivity. 

He is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Nuclear Institute, a recipient of a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award and author of ‘Nuclear Engineering: A Conceptual Guide to Nuclear Power’.

Current term of office ends: June 2027

Member: Barry Lennox

Barry is Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Professor of Applied Control and Nuclear Engineering Decommissioning at The University of Manchester.

He holds a Royal Academy Chair in Emerging Technologies and is the Co-Director of the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo) in Cumbria, which aims to develop technology that will lead to the greater adoption of robotics in the nuclear decommissioning industry.

He is Co-Director of the University of Manchester’s Centre for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence and has been responsible for the deployment of a range of robotic systems into radioactive facilities in the UK and overseas.

Current term of office ends: July 2027

Annex C: CoRWM Subgroups 2022-2023

Subgroup 1: Working with Communities Implementation

Primary tasks:

1. To scrutinise and advise on the integrated communication strategy of the
   UK government, NDA and NWS
2. To scrutinise implementation of the Working with Communities policies in England and Wales.
3. To act as a source of independent information to communities in the geological disposal facility siting process if approached, and to ensure that the work of the Committee (including key position papers) is visible and accessible to communities.
4. To report to the main CoRWM Committee to enable the development of advice to ministers, NDA and NWS
5. Scrutiny and provision of advice to NWS on public engagement and communication of the GDF safety case in collaboration with other CoRWM sub-groups.

Membership:

Penny Harvey (Subgroup Chair)
Nigel Thrift
Ray Kemp
Claire Corkhill
Clare Bond

Subgroup 2: GDF Geology and Delivery

Primary tasks:

1. Scrutiny of and advice to NWS on technical site evaluation factors.
2. Scrutiny and provision of advice to NWS on activities relating to the continued development of a GDF safety case.
3. Scrutiny and provision of advice to NWS on GDF siting activities, including selection criteria, methods of investigation, and the timescale for carrying out site selection in different rock types.
4. Provision of Subgroup 2 related advice to Community Partnership stakeholders as required.
5. Preparation of a paper reviewing CoRWM’s position on retrievability of waste packages from a GDF.

Membership:

Mark Kirkbride (Subgroup Chair)
Claire Corkhill
Clare Bond

Subgroup 3: Planning and Regulation

Primary tasks:

1. Legal and regulatory issues involved in the development of an “Inshore” GDF beneath the seabed but accessed from land.
2. Legal and regulatory issues involved in near surface disposal of intermediate level radioactive waste, either in England and Wales, or in Scotland.
3. Legal, regulatory or policy issues arising from radioactive waste streams located in Scotland which would not be suitable for near surface disposal.
4. Legal issues relevant to the Working with Communities process as it develops.
5. Legal and regulatory issues involved in the development of fusion technology

Membership:

Ray Kemp (Subgroup Chair)
Stephen Tromans KC
Derek Lacey
Mark Kirkbride

Subgroup 4: Scottish Government Activities

Primary tasks:

1. To scrutinise the Scottish Government’s activities in relation to the management of higher activity radioactive waste (HAW) in Scotland.
2. To report to the main CoRWM Committee to enable the development of advice to ministers, NDA and NWS.

Membership:

Clare Bond (Subgroup Chair)
Malcolm Joyce
Derek Lacey
Penny Harvey

Subgroup 5: Welsh Government Activities

Primary tasks:

1. To scrutinise the Welsh Government’s activities in relation to the delivery of the Implementing Geological Disposal policy in Wales.
2. To report to the main CoRWM Committee to enable the development of advice to ministers, NDA and NWS.

Membership:

Stephen Tromans KC (Subgroup Chair)
Barry Lennox

Subgroup 6:  Waste, Spent Fuel & Nuclear Materials Inventory Management

Primary tasks:

1. Monitoring and providing advice on NDA integrated waste management developments including boundary, difficult wastes in Scotland and strategic direction.
2. To scrutinise and advise the UK government and NDA on the potential for near surface disposal of less hazardous intermediate level radioactive waste.
3. Ongoing scrutiny of the end of the Magnox reprocessing programme, and of storage and potential disposal of spent fuel, uranics and plutonium.
4. To advise on the implications of a UK programme of SMRs and AMRs for radioactive waste management.
5. To advise on the implications of a UK fusion programme for radioactive waste management.

Membership:

Derek Lacey (Subgroup Chair)
Claire Corkhill
Simon Webb
Stephen Tromans
Malcolm Joyce
Barry Lennox

Annex D: Annex D:  Meetings held during 2023-2024

Date	Meetings	Attending Capacity
13/04/2023	CoRWM SG3 meeting with NWS - April 13th 2023	SG3 + SW, CC
17/04/2023	CoRWM SG2 meeting with NWS - April 17th 2023	SG2
03/05/2023	SG1 Annual Report Brief Meeting	SG1
03/05/2023	CoRWM SG3 meeting - May 3rd 2023	SG3
03/05/2023	CoRWM DESNZ meeting on the policy consultation - May 3rd 2023	CoRWM
15/05/2023	CoRWM Closed Plenary - May 2023	CoRWM
16/05/2023	CoRWM Open Plenary - May 2023	CoRWM
30/05/2023	CoRWM NWS Pre-brief for Andra visit	NT, CC, SW, MK, DL, RK
26/06/2023	CoRWM SG1 NWS meeting	SG1
28/06/2023	CoRWM DESNZ meeting on AMR waste	DL, CC
28/06/2023	CoRWM SG3 NWS meeting	SG3 + SW, CC
28/06/2023	CoRWM Bure visit debrief	NT, CC, SW, MK, DL, RK
17/07/2023	CoRWM Interim Plenary	CoRWM
20/07/2023	CoRWM chairs catch up meeting	NT, DL, PH
03/08/2023	CoRWM social science workshop meeting	NT, PH
16/08/2023	CoRWM SG4 Induction with new members	CB, MJ, BL
17/08/2023	CoRWM SG2 Induction with new members	SG2
17/08/2023	CoRWM social science workshop meeting	NT, PH
21/08/2023	CoRWM Chairs Induction with new members	DL, PH, NT, MJ, BL
22/08/2023	CoRWM SG1 induction with new members	PH, MJ, BL
23/08/2023	CoRWM SG5 induction with new members	ST, MJ, BL
23/08/2023	CoRWM SG3 induction with new members	RK, MJ, BL
24/08/2023	CoRWM SG6 induction with new members	DL, MJ, BL
04/09/2023	CoRWM SG1 NWS meeting	SG1, ST, MK
05/09/2023	CoRWM URF paper discussion	RK, MK
05/09/2023	CoRWM meeting on new nuclear expansion	ST, MJ, NT, MK,
08/09/2023	CoRWM NWS induction meeting
08/09/2023	CoRWM Social science workshop meeting
11/09/2023	Closed Plenary Meeting - Sept 2023	All
12/09/2023	CoRWM Open Plenary - Sept 2023	All
03/10/2023	CoRWM/NWS SG3 meeting	SG3
09/10/2023	CoRWM Reports discussion	DL, MK, Secretariat
18/10/2023	CoRWM/NWS social sciences event
25/10/2023	CoRWM/NWS SG2 meeting	SG2
02/11/2023	SG6 NDA meeting	SG6
27/11/2023	CoRWM November Closed Plenary	CoRWM
28/11/2023	CoRWM November Open Plenary	CoRWM
30/11/2023	CoRWM SG3 EA URL workshop	SG3 + SW, CC
06/12/2023	CoRWM SG1 NWS meeting on December 6th	SG1
20/12/2023	CoRWM PH + NT meeting	NT, PH
17/01/2024	CORWM SG2 NWS meeting 17th Jan	SG2
18/01/2024	CoRWM SG3 meeting	SG3
29/01/2024	CoRWM NT, DL, PH meeting	NT, DL, PH
31/01/2024	CoRWM SG6 meeting	SG6
16/02/2024	CoRWM SG3 NWS meeting	SG3
29/02/2024	CoRWM SG1 meeting	SG1
05/03/2024	CoRWM SG1 NWS meeting	SG1
11/03/2024	CoRWM Closed Plenary	CoRWM
12/03/2024	CoRWM Open Plenary	CoRWM
13/03/2024	NT presented at Nuleaf Steering Group meeting	NT

Annex E: List of Acronyms

Acronym	Description
AMR	Advanced Modular Reactor
CoRWM	Committee on Radioactive Waste Management
DCO	Development Consent Order
DAERA	Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
DESNZ	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (formally BEIS)
EA	Environment Agency (England’s Environmental Regulator)
GDF	Geological Disposal Facility
HAW	Higher Activity Waste
IAEA	International Atomic Energy Agency
ILW	Intermediate Level Waste
LLWR	Low Level Waste Repository
NDA	Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
NDPB	Non-Departmental Public Body
NSD	Near Surface Disposal
NWS	Nuclear Waste Services
ONR	Office for Nuclear Regulation (the regulator of safety, security and safeguards at nuclear facilities and transport of radioactive materials)
R&D	Research and Development
RSO	Research Support Office
SMR	Small Modular Reactor
SG	Scottish Government
URF	Underground Research Facility
Uranics	A range of materials containing uranium arising from historic or current nuclear fuel cycle operations
WG	Welsh Government

1. Available on CoRWM webpage: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/committee-on-radioactive-waste-management/about/terms-of-reference ↩

2. www.gov.uk/government/collections/committee-on-radioactive-waste-management-minutes-of-meetings ↩

3. www.gov.uk/government/publications/corwm-documents-archive ↩