Alcan Rolled Products has pled guilty and been fined £5000 for keeping an unregistered radioactive source at its Aitkenhead Road premises in Glasgow.

SEPA Officers discovered the 7.4 GBq Krypton 85 source in late May 1999, contained in a printing/coating machine. It was a potential radiation hazard and could have caused harm to any person unknowingly coming into direct contact.

The firm is required to register the source with SEPA under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. This control is in place in order to prevent the unnecessary production of radioactive waste and to ensure the proper and safe storage of radioactive waste.

"In omitting to register this radioactive source with SEPA, Alcan Rolled Products Ltd has not allowed SEPA to consider the validity of the use of the source, or have regulatory control over the resulting waste," said Anne Davidson, Environment Protection Officer.

"SEPA is delighted with this result as it shows that failure to obtain the appropriate licence from SEPA is viewed as seriously as actual pollution, and not seen as simply a technical requirement. This result should also serve as a warning to other operators: if you operate illegally, SEPA will find you and hold you accountable."

Editors Note

Krypton 85 is a radioactive gas with a ten and a half year half life. It emits both Beta and Gamma radiation. It is commonly used in gauges designed to measure the thickness of thin materials and coatings, such as plastic, paper and foil.