Recommendation 18

The public is not fully aware of the challenges of nuclear decommissioning and given past problems in the industry, the public image of the sector requires some improvement.33 28 Qq 89, 90 29 Qq 55 - 57 30 Q 69 31 Qq 53–54, 32 Q 86, PAC report, recommendation 6. 33 Qq 44, 84 The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s management of the Magnox contract 15 It can be difficult to find, for example, information about the timescales for completing decommissioning work at specific sites and returning land to communities.34 When asked how it makes sure that where possible nuclear sites, or elements of them, can be reused during the ‘care and maintenance’ phase of decommissioning, the Department said information about developments in and around sites is often contained in broad local industrial strategies and that its own cities and local growth unit looks at which sites have high potential.35 The NDA gave a number of examples of potential projects to repurpose NDA land and property, including for hydrogen production in and around Sellafield, a potential solar farm at Chapelcross in Scotland, and a new technology site at Berkeley in Gloucestershire.36 34 Q 24 35 Qq 77–78 36 Q 76 16 The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s management of the Magnox contract