28-Apr-2006 - Increased
monitoring of Somerset’s Hinkley Point nuclear
power station has shown radiation levels to be
within acceptable limits said the Environment
Agency today.
Last year the Agency stepped
up its monitoring of the site after a member of
the public reported abnormal radiation readings
at nearby Kilve Beach. The person used a Geiger
Counter after his pet dog died after it had been
exercised on Kilve Beach.
British Nuclear Group, the operators
of Hinkley Point, are authorised by the Environment
Agency to discharge small amounts of radioactivity
into the Bristol Channel. The radioactivity is
contained in liquid effluents. Discharge levels
are closely regulated by the Agency under the
Radioactive Substances Act 1993. The Agency routinely
monitors Kilve Beach for radioactivity as part
of its regulation and monitoring of the power
station and surrounding area.
In September 2005 Environment
Agency officers visited Kilve Beach with the member
of public who had earlier reported high levels
of radioactivity. Neither he or the Agency specialists
could reproduce the levels that were claimed to
have been found.
As a precautionary measure Agency
scientists carried out further monitoring between
October 2005 – March 2006. On each occasion radioactivity
was found to be within background levels. Gamma
dose rates were also found to be within the normal
range.
The checks on Kilve Beach followed
routine discharges from Hinkley Point. The monitoring
assessed radiation at the strand line, at the
low tide mark and across the beach in general
over a three day period.
At the same time as the Environment
Agency checks, routine monitoring carried out
by the site operators revealed slightly elevated
levels of Strontium-90 in two sediment samples.
Although detectable, they were within safe limits
and did not pose a threat to the environment or
human health.
The final tests carried out
by the Agency between February 27 – March 1 included
other local beaches including Weston-super-Mare,
Burnham-on-sea, Steart Flats, Watchet Harbour,
Blue Anchor, Hinkley Point Beach and the River
Parrett. Once again, no activity above background
radiation levels were detected.
‘The Strontium-90 was present
at extremely low levels and within normal limits.
However, as a precaution we have advised Hinkley
A site operators to cease certain pond operations
until we are satisfied that sufficient measures
are in place to ensure levels of radioactivity
are kept to a minimum,’ said Anil Koshti for the
Environment Agency.
British Nuclear Group were required
to carry out quarterly monitoring at locations
around the coastal area of Hinkley Point. The
Agency has now asked British Nuclear Group to
increase this sampling to include Kilve Beach
in the quarterly monitoring, and to carry out
analysis for Strontium 90 in sediment samples
from all the eleven sampling locations.
As an additional precaution,
the Environment Agency has increased its independent
gamma dose surveys to quarterly instead of six-monthly
and made changes to its sediment and effluent
monitoring programmes.
