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12
December 05
Dounreay Seeks Way Forward On The Particles
The largest consultation exercise ever undertaken by Dounreay’s
operator was announced today to identify the Best Practicable
Environmental Option for radioactive particles found in the seabed and
beaches near the former experimental reactor establishment.
A newsletter is being issued today to more than a thousand registered
stakeholders, outlining the results of a £10 million research programme
and inviting members of the public to participate in a preliminary phase
of engagement.
This will be augmented by a series
of outreach meetings and public exhibitions next month to gather more
feedback about the options that should be assessed and the criteria to be
used.
Two independent expert reports are
due to be published in 2006 and the findings, together with feedback from
the preliminary phase and ongoing technical studies, should enable UKAEA
to carry out a detailed assessment and consult widely on the options later
in the year. This is expected to lead to recommendations in 2007 on the
way forward.
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Norman Harrison
Director Of Dounreay |
Norman Harrison, director of
Dounreay, said: “The purpose of the consultation is to find out, in an
open and inclusive manner, if there is a better way to manage the
legacy of particles than the current approach, which is to monitor
beaches to criteria laid down by SEPA and remove those particles that
can be detected when they come ashore. “However much I and everyone at
Dounreay today regrets the practices of old that gave rise to this
legacy, we cannot turn back the clock. It therefore becomes very
important to everyone that we do what is right today, so that those
who are affected by this legacy can have confidence that the preferred
way forward is the right one for safety, society and the environment.” |
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UKAEA has commissioned
consultants Entec UK
to facilitate the preliminary phase of public engagement and the
transparency of the process is being overseen by a stakeholder
consultation steering group chaired by Councillor Bill Fernie, who
represents Wick West on Highland Council. He said: “A considerable
amount of work has gone into looking at how we might present
information to the public that is clear and open. The Steering Group
is looking forward to assisting everyone involved in making the
choices that will decide the future of how we deal with the particles
in the environment. From early in 2006 we will be working to ensure
that anyone who wishes to can contribute their view and I encourage
anyone with an interest to participate.” |
Bill Fernie Highland Councillor
For Wick West & Chairman Of The BPEO Stakeholder Consultation Steering
Group On Particles |
Particles are fragments of
irradiated nuclear fuel similar in size to grains of sand. They were
created during the break-up of spent nuclear fuel for reprocessing and
fires during its dissolution, and their release into the sea can be traced
to historic waste management practices dating back to the late 1950s.
The total number of particles
discharged into the sea during Dounreay’s fuel reprocessing era is
uncertain. In recent years, specialist divers and a robotic monitoring
device have surveyed 340,000 m2 of the seabed around a disused discharge
outlet. To date, 926 particles have been recovered by divers from the
seabed, and almost 300 particles have been recovered from nearby beaches.
Dounreay was Britain’s centre of
fast reactor research and development from 1955 until 1994. It is now
being decommissioned by UKAEA on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning
Authority.
More information about particles,
including a copy of the newsletter being issued today, can be found at
http://www.ukaea.org.uk/dounreay/particles_in_marine_evironment.htm
Information about particles can
also be found at
http://www.sepa.org.uk/radioactivity/dpag/index.htm and
www.comare.org.uk
Particles Consultation Steering Group:
An independent steering group was established in 2003 to oversee the
transparency of the consultation process. The Steering Group consists of:
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Bill Fernie |
Highland Council,
Wick West (Chairman) |
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John Thurso |
MP
for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross |
| Rick
Nickerson |
KIMO
secretariat |
| Iain
Baikie |
Environment expert,
KP
Technology |
| Fred
Barker |
Consultant specialising in nuclear policy analysis and stakeholder
engagement |
| Ian
Clark |
Dounreay Trade Unions |
The Steering Group has met on several occasions to
discuss the proposals for public participation as they evolved:
Note: You will need Adobe
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Click on the 'Get Acrobat Reader' link to download it for free.
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