Cut on the cards in sweep for radioactive particles
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MONITORING for radioactive particles on beaches in Caithness could be reduced if recommendations by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency are given the go ahead.
Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd (DSRL) has applied to SEPA for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the decommissioning of the nuclear licensed site.
A public consultation is currently being carried out before a final decision on any changes are made.
Since beach monitoring was introduced in 1999, around 500 particles have been found washed ashore with 2058 found on offshore seabeds in the last 12 years.
The two worst affected beaches in Caithness have been on-site at Dounreay and at Sandside Estate with 280 and 216 particles found respectively since monitoring first began.
SEPA has recommended to continue fortnightly monitoring at the Dounreay beach due to its close location to the site and the number of particles which have been recovered there.
However, it has been recommended monitoring at Sandside should be reduced from monthly to quarterly because of a reduced chance of encountering radioactive particles being washed up.The report states: "Noting that the Dounreay Particles Advisory Group has not ruled out the occurrence of a significant particle at Sandside Bay but, given the activity of fuel fragments found to date and the probability of encountering a fuel fragment, the current level of monitoring should be relaxed to a quarterly monitoring programme." This comes despite a fragment of irradiated nuclear fuel with an unusual radionuclide composition being detected and recovered from Sandside Bay during a scan in February.
The ratio of beta and gamma radiation usually measures at a ratio of one to one but the particle had a ratio of one to 4062.
Only three radioactive particles have ever been identified at other beaches in Caithness since 1999 – two at Murkle and one at Dunnet.
Murkle was only one of two beaches in the report where it was recommended to carry out increased monitoring by doing an annual scan of the shore, compared to only carrying out six searches at the beach in the last 12 years.
Despite no radioactive particles having been found at Crosskirk beach, SEPA also recommended an annual inspection would be necessary due to fragments of fuel having been found in offshore sediments near the area.
The report stated that monitoring is no longer required at Brims Ness, Scrabster, Thurso and Peedie beaches due to no radioactive particles ever being found and patterns showing this will not be likely in the future.
Melvich is in line for monitoring once every five years, where, despite no radioactive particles being found on the beach, models of particle movement to the west of Dounreay have indicated that some particles may move past Red Point.
The amount of monitoring would be subject to change depending on the number of particles found at Sandside.
Fragments of irradiated nuclear fuel were first detected on the Dounreay site coastal strip in 1983 and on the beach at Sandside in 1984.
SEPA has opened its public consultation on DSRL’s application and it will close on
November 30.
