The Radioactive Substances (Natural Gas) Exemption Order 2002

Statutory Instruments

2002 No. 1177

ATOMIC ENERGY AND RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES

The Radioactive Substances (Natural Gas) Exemption Order 2002

Made

25th April 2002

Laid before Parliament

26th April 2002

Coming into force

17th May 2002

The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred upon her by sections 8(6) and 15(2) of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993(1), and of all other powers enabling her in that behalf, hereby makes the following Order:

Citation, commencement, extent and interpretation

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Radioactive Substances (Natural Gas) Exemption Order 2002 and shall come into force on 17th May 2002.

(2) This Order extends to Great Britain.

(3) In this Order—

• “natural gas” includes natural gas in solid and liquid forms, and products derived by manufacture from natural gas; and

• “specified natural gas” means natural gas which contains—

  (a)

  radon-222, or

  (b)

  a radionuclide which succeeds radon-222 in the same radioactive series,

  in concentrations which do not exceed 5 becquerels per gram for each radionuclide.

Exemption from registration

2.  A person who on any premises which are used for the purposes of any undertaking carried on by him keeps or uses, or causes or permits to be kept or used, specified natural gas is exempted from registration under section 7 of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 in respect of its keeping and use on those premises.

Exemption from authorisation

3.  Sections 13 and 14 of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 shall not apply to a disposal or accumulation of radioactive waste which is specified natural gas, or consists of products derived from the combustion of specified natural gas.

Signed by authority, of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Michael Meacher

Minister of State

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

25th April 2002

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order provides exemptions from the registration and authorisation requirements of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 in relation to natural gas and natural gas products which contain limited amounts of radioactivity.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared in connection with this Order. It has been placed in the Library of each House of Parliament, and copies may be obtained from the Radioactive Substances Division, DEFRA, Zone 4/E6, Ashdown House, 123 Victoria St, London SW1E 6DE.

(1)

1993 c. 12.