Changes are planned to the permits that allow Sellafield to discharge waste as fuel reprocessing work comes to an end.

The Environment Agency is opening a public consultation into the most significant change for nearly two decades in the waste Sellafield Ltd is permitted to discharge into the environment.

The agency is the leading organisation working to protect the environment, and regulates discharges and radioactive waste disposal from Sellafield.

A spokesman said it sets stringent discharge limits in Sellafield Ltd's environmental permits as well as also making sure the company minimises discharges and their impacts on people and the environment by using the best available techniques.

Radioactive fuel is currently reprocessed at Sellafield's THORP and Magnox plants.

But the work will end at THORP next month and at Magnox in 2020, meaning the site will discharge significantly less to the environment.

The changes mean the company will need new environmental permits with revised, lower discharge levels.

The new permits will also need to reflect the site's changing focus from reprocessing to decommissioning.

It is the most significant review of Sellafield Ltd's permits since the early 2000s.

The permits in question are the Radioactive Substances Activities (RSA) permit and the Installations permit, which allow the site to operate facilities, discharge liquids and gases to the environment and disposals of solid waste.

Due to the different types of information and data involved in the permit applications, the RSA and Installations permits will be submitted at different times.

The first permit to have been submitted is the Radioactive

Substances Activities permit.

Rob Allott, nuclear regulation manager for the Environment Agency, said:

“The Environment Agency has been working with Sellafield Ltd to carry out a major review of two of its environmental permits in readiness for the end of fuel reprocessing at the Sellafield site.

“Changes to the Radioactive Substances Activities (RSA) permit have been

submitted by the company, and our consultation is now open. We are encouraging people to have their say, learn more about the proposed changes and provide us with any information that they think is relevant to decision making.”

The consultation will last until December 21. Once the consultation closes, the Environment Agency will review all comments received and then publish a draft decision.

A further eight-week consultation on the draft decision will follow, which will give people a further opportunity to let us have any more information.

To access the consultation, visit consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/cumbria-and-lancashire/sellafield-rsa-major-permit-review

The agency said posters would be displayed in libraries, leisure centres and supermarkets.