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Beach monitoring trials
Trials of new beach monitoring equipment, known generically as ‘the Groundhog’ are planned to take place on the beach near Drigg.
The Environment Agency (EA) has placed a statutory requirement on Sellafield Ltd for monitoring local beaches using vehicle mounted and hand held monitoring equipment. The programme has been in place
since 2007 and is assessed and revised annually by the EA. In their most recent assessment they identified the need for an extension of the equipment testing to include detection of a wide range of sealed radioactive sources in an on-beach environment.
The work, which is being undertaken by Nuvia Ltd, on behalf of Sellafield Ltd, will take place within two
marked areas of beach approximately 2 metres by 120 metres. It will involve the detection of known radioactive sources buried at known depths and locations within this area of beach and will be observed by the appropriate regulators. The trials are scheduled to begin on 8th October 2009 during daylight hours and will last for approximately seven days, depending on weather and tides.
The work proposal has been shared with external stakeholders, and the Drigg & Carleton Parish council has been briefed by the responsible Environmental Manager. EA personnel and independent observers will be present during the trials.
The planned use of radioactive sources for the beach trials is similar to that successfully undertaken at Dounreay. The sealed radioactive sources will be carefully controlled by nominated personnel and placed in marked containers when in use. Although it is not expected to find any environmental particles during the trials any radioactive particles detected will be retrieved and delivered to Sellafield for analysis following the normal procedures.
The beaches remain safe to use throughout the duration of the trials but the public is asked to avoid the marked out areas. NUVIA will set up the trials area each day with warning signs and also make additional personnel available to help the public. The sources will be removed and the area will be returned to normal at the end of each day’s tests.
