Her Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) Devonport wishes to change the way it disposes of trace contaminated rainwater. At present it passes through the effluent treatment plant operated by the neighbouring nuclear site, Devonport Royal Dockyard Ltd. HMNB Devonport now wants to release the rainwater directly into the River Tamar/Hamoaze. This will result in a very minor increase in dose to the public which will be offset by a reduction of doses to workers at the base.
Operators of nuclear sites in England must have a permit for activities involving radioactive substances from the Environment Agency. As HMNB Devonport is operated by the Ministry of Defence, it does not need an environmental permit but instead has an 'Approval' from the agency to receive and dispose of radioactive waste as part of submarine operations and maintenance.The operator now wishes to vary this approval to reflect their proposed change to disposing of rainwater.
The environmental permitting process is designed to ensure sites are operated without causing significant harm to the environment and human health. The Environment Agency will consult relevant technical experts on the technical detail of the permit variation and invite comments from the public before a decision is made on whether or not to vary the permit.
You can view a copy of the application for a variation and supporting documents and comment online at https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/nuclear/application-to-vary-the-radioactive-substances-app/ or email
