A key part of the NNL's Environmental Management System (EMS) is the identification of the environmental aspects of products, services and buildings. This enables us to understand the impacts and effects of our activities on the environment and to manage and control them. It also supports the setting of objectives and targets to facilitate continuous improvement.
Our EMS is certified to the International Standard ISO 14001:2004. The standard defines an environmental aspect as:
"...element of an organisation's activities, products or services that can interact with the environment"
Environmental Impacts of our Services
Environmental interactions can manifest in a direct way (for example, our emissions to air) but also in an indirect, positive way. Within the National Nuclear Laboratory, many of our Products and Services have a positive impact on the environment, for example advice given to customers on decontamination of land.
For further information on the environmental capabilities that NNL can offer, please visit the Environment Team area of our website . The National Nuclear Laboratory customer magazine, Technical Solutions, provides an overview of ways in which we have added value to customer operations, many of which are in the environmental field.
Our Case Studies site also offers an insight into some of the environmental work we have carried out recently, for example the Trenches Project.
Direct environmental effects of our operations
NNL operates buildings that have impacts on the environment that must be controlled. The Facility Register of Environmental Aspects provides details of impacts and controls in place. We operate within authorisation limits set by the Environment Agency. On Nuclear Licensed sites, our contribution to site discharge levels is minimal.
There are management controls in place for all our environmental impacts. For example, on Energy Efficiency and Usage, The Central Laboratory (Sellafield) and Preston Laboratory Buildings have been designed to be energy efficient, using the latest technology such as stacks that draw a proportion of fresh air as opposed to 100% conditioned, and heat retaining windows. Furthermore NNL have adopted a number of processes and technologies to reduce energy and water consumption. These include:
