Surveillance and control

As is the case for all the company’s tasks, the objective of the environmental surveillance plans is to protect the environment and, if necessary, establish corrective measures.

• Environmental Radiological Surveillance Plans
• Environmental impact statements
• Environmental Surveillance Plans

Environmental Radiological Surveillance Plans

The El Cabril Environmental Radiological Surveillance Plan collects almost 1,000 samples of water, air, plant life and foodstuffs per year.

The Environmental Radiological Surveillance plans serve to verify that Enresa’s activities do not alter the natural radiation level of the sites.

For this purpose, control points are established where samples are taken to assess the radiological repercussion of each activity.

The results of the tests performed are sent periodically to the town councils in the area, the governments of the autonomous communities and the Nuclear Safety Council.

The authorisation processes for all the Enresa projects and facilities have in all cases fulfilled the specific nuclear and radiological legislation applicable to this type of activities, this now having been in force for several decades. This includes the definition of environmental radiological surveillance plans throughout the operating lifetime of the facility, and even subsequently.

The management of the environmental radiological surveillance programmes corresponds to the Enresa Radiological Protection Technical Unit.

Environmental impact statements

The environmental impact statement for the El Cabril centralised disposal facility was the second issued in Spain and the first for an industrial activity.

Environmental assessment is the technical and administrative procedure through which consideration is given to all the aspects relating to protection of the environment to be met by certain types of projects or facilities, depending on their potential environmental impact.

This procedure contributes to the participation of the affected administrations and interested public and is the best system for public participation to adequately integrate and consider people’s environmental concerns.

Since 1986 environmental assessment has been incorporated in the Spanish standards as regards the evaluation of the environmental impact of specific projects and activities, such as several of those carried out by Enresa.

The Enresa activities that carry an associated environmental impact statement are as follows:

• The El Cabril low and intermediate level waste disposal facility
• The dismantling and decommissioning of the Andújar Uranium Mill
• The dismantling of the Vandellós I nuclear power plant
• The complementary facility for very low level wastes at El Cabril

Those projects and facilities that obtain an environmental impact statement must meet different requirements in their design and development, among which is the establishment of an Environmental Surveillance Plan during their operating lifetime.

Environmental Surveillance Plans

Enresa’s activities may have an influence on non-radiological aspects of the surroundings, as a result of which they are carefully overseen by means of Environmental Surveillance Plans. These are programmes that consist of the performance of in situ measurements to verify that the impact of the activities on the environment is kept within the established limits.

Sampling points at El Cabril and Vandellós I

In this respect, measurements are carried out on the quality of the air, underground and surface waters, sediments in rivers, etc.

The programmes include the parameters that must be monitored, where the control points should be located, the sampling procedure, the analysis methods to be used and the frequency of such analyses.

The competent authority, town councils, provincial delegations and environmental councils of the autonomous communities are periodically informed of the results of the test performed.

As is the case for all the company’s tasks, the objective of the environmental surveillance plans is to protect the environment and, where necessary, establish corrective measures.