N-Base Briefing 466


N-Base Briefing 466
4th September 2005
ISSN 1478-4661

Two new consultations

The Scottish Executive has announced two new public consultations. The proposed Radioactively Contaminated Land Regulations will introduce European Directive 96/29 into law. This provides for a system of identification and remediation of land where contamination is causing continued exposure to radiation and where intervention is likely to be justified. The consultation lasts until 9th November. No details have been posted on the executive's website. Details from kerrie.campbell@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

The second consultation concerns Statutory Guidance to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on controlling radioactive discharges in compliance with the OSPAR Convention's strategy on reducing environmental discharges. The consultation lasts until 9th November, again no details have been published on the executive's website. Details from kerrie.campbell@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Jellyfish strike

One of the reactors at Oskarshamn in Sweden had to be shutdown this week because jellyfish were clogging up the cooling system which takes in water from the Baltic.

Particles conference

The scientific conference into the contamination of the seabed off Dounreay by radioactive particles took place in Nairn this week. Over 50 delegates attended the conference that was organised by the UKAEA in conjunction with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the British Nuclear Energy Society and the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment. Papers presented to the conference are available at www.sepa.org.uk

One speaker who was not present was Dr Philip Day, a specialist in environmental radioactivity at Manchester University and the adviser to the owners of the Sandside beach where much of the contamination has been found. Dr Day withdrew as a speaker at the conference. He said this was because the 'recognised authorities' on the issue had not been invited to speak and the conference had become an 'irrelevance'.

Google worries

The new Google Earth internet site, which has satellite pictures of the whole planet, with some areas in high-quality detail, is apparently causing concerns among security circles. The worry is that the photos might be useful to terorrists planning attacks on nuclear sites such as Sellafield. In Australia the authorities have already asked Google that photos of the Lucas Heights reactor in Sydney should be removed.