Fresh frustration after another delay to Port Clarence nuclear dump decision

The Environment Agency has confirmed it has given Augean more time to provide information for its bid for a low level waste store off Huntsman Drive, Port Clarence, Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham fears this will now mean a final decision will be pushed back to late 2023 – meaning residents will have faced four years of waiting for a verdict since the bid was first lodged in 2019.

In January, agency officials said they expected it would take until the spring or summer this year for a decision on the permit after they asked for additional information from Augean about potential future impacts from coastal erosion. At the time, an Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Several experts will then fully assess the proposals, including complex coastal erosion modelling, and consider the risks before making a decision.

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“We will only issue a permit if we are satisfied that it is safe and meets the requirements of UK law for disposal of this type of waste.” Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham aired frustration at the uncertainty earlier this year – fearing it would take until this autumn until a decision finally came.

It’s understood Augean has now been given until the end of the year to offer up more information. And the Labour member was equally unimpressed with this latest hold-up.

Mr Cunningham said: “Residents have had this proposal hanging over them for around three years now and we are still yet to get anywhere closer to this application being determined. Having spoken to both Augean and the Environment Agency about this, I understand the need for careful consideration.

An aerial image of Augean North's Port Clarence site

“But I really hope this is the final delay in this matter. The people living in the Clarences deserve a clear answer.”

Augean applied for a permit for low level nuclear material in 2019 – and has pointed to a similar facility it operates in Northamptonshire which has been managed “without any adverse effects” on either people or the environment. A message on its website adds: “As one of only a handful of companies to hold a permit for the controlled burial of low-level radioactive waste with a range of specialist facilities, you’re in safe hands.”

The Port Clarence Waste Recovery Park has been taking and disposing of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes for more than two decades. But Augean’s nuclear waste bid sparked a wave of opposition when it emerged.

Mr Cunningham, Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen and Stockton Council’s ruling Labour group opposed the move. Stockton Council leader Cllr Bob Cook was also fed up with the latest delay.

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He said: “It’s a long time – surely they should be able to get something together now.” A consultation in 2020 saw a mammoth 2,329 responses lodged – with only 13 in support of the application.

Agency officials confirmed the process could be sped up if the firm provided the information requested sooner – although the agency stressed it was a complicated process.

Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Protecting local people and the environment is our priority, so we will consider this permit application in detail.
“To help us make a decision, we have asked for further information from the applicant about potential future impacts from coastal erosion. The applicant has requested additional time to provide this information and we have agreed to further extend their deadline.”

In the past, the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA) said the material proposed to be dumped would be the type that needs “minimal isolation” and would be “suitable for disposal in landfill”.

Asked about the latest delay, a spokesman for Augean said: “We are continuing to engage with the Environment Agency, as we have done since the application for an environmental permit was submitted. Augean is responding to matters they raise throughout the process of determination and this will continue until a final position is reached by the end of 2022.

“Reviewing the technical detail is complex and follows an iterative process with information and documents being exchanged on a continuous basis. This involves a significant amount of work from both Augean and the Environment Agency.

“This approach ensures that a rigorous scrutiny of all aspects of the application takes place and the timescale is not unusual in complex permit applications.”

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