Low Level Waste Facility at Drigg
The low level waste repository (LLW) is located on the West Cumbrian coast approximately six-km south east of Sellafield at Drigg. It has operated safely as the principal national disposal facility for low level radioactive wastes (LLW) since 1959.
The majority of waste disposed of is transported by rail from Sellafield. All other waste arrives by road from other UK nuclear facilities, hospitals, research establishments and other industries.
The waste is typically comprised of paper, packing materials, plastic sheeting, protective clothing and redundant equipment. Other types of LLW include bulky and heavy items resulting from the decommissioning of nuclear facilities and old industrial sites. Management Services Sellafield has invested more than £100 million in the infrastructure of the site since 1999 to preserve the facility as a long-term UK national repository.
