30 May 1997
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is actively investigating the latest contamination finds near the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s nuclear site Dounreay, Caithness.
SEPA was informed on Thursday 29 May of possible radioactive contamination on the public beach at Sandside Bay, 2.5 kms from Dounreay, and on an area of UKAEA land to the South of the licensed nuclear site.
Particle on public beach
SEPA’s greatest concern was, and continues to be, the contamination of the public beach. It’s nuclear inspectors, who were at Dounreay at the time the particle was found, immediately went to the foreshore and carried out some independent monitoring to confirm that this was not a widespread incident. They monitored approximately 1% of the beach and did not detect further contamination. However, there remains considerable concern that this second particle has been found at Sandside Bay. A previous, similar find in 1984, has until now been considered a one-off incident; this latest find increases the need to speed up the process of finding the source of the particles and pathway to the beach.
SEPA staff will be at Sandside Bay over the weekend to oversee UKAEA’s investigations. SEPA has strongly advised UKAEA to conduct an extensive survey of the beach, but it has not yet been confirmed that they will do so. In any case, SEPA will be carrying out independent monitoring, and has commissioned a beach survey commencing early next week.
Public access to the beach
Although at this stage the danger to the public is considered minimal, this find has called into question previous estimates of the likelihood of coming into contact with such a particle. SEPA has advised UKAEA to take all practicable steps to advise members of the public who may use the beach at Sandside Bay that radioactive contamination has been found there (consisting of a spent fuel fragment or ‘particle’*).
Contamination on old runway
SEPA has been advised of an area of contamination found on ground adjacent to the old runway on UKAEA-owned land to the south of the licensed nuclear site. Preliminary reports suggest that subsurface soil has been contaminated, although it is not yet clear how the contamination occurred. SEPA is also treating this find very seriously - although the area in question is policed by UKAEA, it is outside the perimeter fence, and potentially accessible by the public. SEPA will carry out some independent monitoring and has asked UKAEA for further analysis of the contamination from UKAEA as well as details of their proposals for the area.
In line with its policy of openness, SEPA will make its findings in relation to these incidents public.
NOTES
1. * ‘Particle’: in the Dounreay context, this has historically been the description given to nuclear fuel fragments defined by the easily measured caesium 137 activity, ranging from 103 - 108 Bequerels , in association with other radionuclides such as strontium 90 and uranium.
ENDS
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Updated: 12 December 1997
© SEPA 1997