The Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR), established in 1959 and managed by Nuclear Waste Services (NWS), is the UK’s main disposal facility for low-level radioactive waste. It is located on the West Cumbrian coast, near the village of Drigg. In May 2025, five GSL staff participated in a site visit organised by NWS’s Environmental Safety Case (ESC) Team. The visit took place one year ahead of the facility’s 2026 ESC submission and offered NWS’s ESC contractors a chance to see the site and its unique characteristics first-hand, as well as to meet and hear overview presentations from the NWS ESC team. This was the first time most of the GSL attendees had visited the site, and it was a rare and valuable opportunity to observe real waste disposals and develop an appreciation of their scale and setting. The insights gained will feed into our work supporting NWS in the preparation of the 2026 ESC on topics including groundwater assessment, criticality safety, site evolution, ESC implementation and institutional control. Our team had a fantastic day, and we are very grateful to NWS for providing this opportunity!
