N09: Policy, Regulation and Licensing

This unit aims to:

– Identify the principal legal and policy regimes governing the construction, operation and decommissioning of nuclear installations in the UK.

– Explain the principles, applicability and application of government policy and relevant laws and regulations in the UK nuclear sector.

– Examine the roles of the different regulators, liabilities of nuclear installation operators and the government and the management of radioactive waste.

Brief description of the unit

The unit covers international and national law, and policy governing the operation of nuclear processes in the UK. The topics covered include: The Nuclear Installations Act, Environmental Permitting Regulations, the current policy framework and government industrial support to the nuclear sector,  nuclear site licensing, justification, Generic Design Assessment, planning and emergency planning, decommissioning and contamination, and radioactive waste management.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Identify and explain key nuclear legislation and case law, including the relevant governing bodies, and explain the responsibility of the employer and the individual in respect of ensuring nuclear safety.

Apply relevant legislation and key abstract legal points from case law and to assess the effectiveness of nuclear policy.

Prepare and present reasoned legal arguments; produce structured, discursive documents using appropriate legal citation; and apply knowledge to specific potential practical problems.

Apply transferable skills acquired through the discussion and resolution of problems as part of a team, through the preparation of coherent and logically argued reports and by undertaking independent online and library-based research.