The Radioactive Substances (Basic Safety Standards) (Scotland) Direction 2000

The Scottish Ministers, in exercise of the powers conferred upon them by section 40(2) of the Environment Act 1995(1), and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf having consulted with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency as required by section 40(6) of that Act, hereby give the Scottish Environment Protection Agency the following Direction: 

Citation and application

1. – (1) This Direction may be cited as the Radioactive Substances (Basic Safety Standards) (Scotland) Direction 2000.

a. This Direction is given for the purposes of implementing the obligations of the United Kingdom under Council Directive 96/29/Eurotom, laying down basic safety standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against dangers arising from ionising radiation (“the Directive”).

Duty of Agency to observe the requirements of the Directive

2. – (1) In discharging its functions in relation to the disposal of radioactive waste under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency shall, wherever applicable ensure that-

a. all exposures to ionising radiation of any members of the public and of the population as a whole resulting from the disposal of radioactive waste are kept as low as reasonably achievable, economic and social factors being taken into account; and;

b. the sum of the doses resulting from the exposure of any members of the public to ionising radiation should not exceed the dose limits set out in Article 13 of the Directive (subject to the exclusions set out in Article 6(4) of the Directive).

(2) In discharging its duty under paragraph (1)(a) above, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency shall have regard to the following maximum doses which may result from a defined source, for use at the planning stage in radiation protection-

a. 0.3 millisieverts per year from any source from which radioactive discharges are first made on, or after, 13 May 2000; or

b. 0.5 millisieverts per year from the discharges from any single site.

(3) In discharging its duty under paragraph (1) the Scottish Environment Protection Agency shall observe the following requirements of the Directive-

a. in estimating effective dose and equivalent dose, Title V, Articles 15 and 16;

b. in estimating population doses, Article 45; and

c. in relation to the responsibilities of undertakings, Article 47.

 

 

This Direction is subscribed as follows:-

It is signed by Bridget Campbell

Head of Environment Protection Unit, Rural Affairs Department,
The Scottish Executive, at Edinburgh

On 11 May 2000, before this witness:                                                  ……………………………….

Signature of witness……………………….

Full name of Witness: STEVEN MACGREGOR

Address of witness: SERAD, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh