Expectations for Managing Contaminated Ground and Groundwater: Developing a Common View of NDA and Regulators

The management of contaminated ground and groundwater is a notable contributor to dealing with the challenge we face in cleaning up the legacy of the UK’s civil nuclear industry in a safe, cost-effective and environmentally responsible manner. To facilitate this mission, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Environmental Regulators and Safety Regulators are working together to develop common expectations for the management of contaminated ground and groundwater arising on and extending off nuclear licensed sites in the UK. The aims of this work are to: • set out shared expectations for land quality management, explaining any differing expectations where consensus is difficult; • interpret expectations to ensure they are clear and implementable, facilitating planning of programmes and deliverables; • provide a framework for dialogue against which progress in land quality management can be mapped; • promote positive action to manage land quality in a proportionate and sustainable manner to achieve consistent standards; and • identify whether areas of the regulatory framework or NDA contractual requirements warrant review and propose improvements for consideration, as appropriate. This paper outlines the process currently ongoing to identify the best way of achieving these aims in a manner that avoids compromising the respective statutory obligations, duties and functions of each party.