Guidance

Sellafield radioactive objects notification and intervention plan

Published 10 October 2022

Applies to England

The Environment Agency has developed this notification and intervention plan with other organisations involved in protecting the public from radioactive objects. This plan explains how the different organisations will work together to:

• protect the public and environment from any harm caused by radioactive objects on west Cumbria beaches

• respond to a discovery of radioactive objects near the Sellafield site – a significantly unusual single find, or a significant overall change in the find rate, activity or trends

• check that the conclusions of a public health risk assessment for the radioactive objects remain valid

Monitoring beaches near Sellafield

Since 2006, Sellafield Ltd has been monitoring beaches in west Cumbria using vehicle-based radiation detection equipment. They have found and retrieved some radioactive objects. The majority are particles the size of a grain of sand or smaller (less than 2mm in diameter). Larger objects include grit, pebbles, stones and other non-natural items such as slivers of plastic or metal.

The advice from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is that risks from radioactive particles on the beaches near to the Sellafield site are very low. The risk from larger radioactive objects is even lower. Objects larger than particles present a lower risk to people because they cannot be:

• taken up by shellfish and then eaten by people

• trapped close to the skin for long periods of time

This report by Public Health England has more information on the risk to public health from radioactive objects on beaches around the Sellafield Ltd site.

UKHSA has advised that we do not need measures to protect the public. For example, signage, advice or a remediation programme to remove the radioactive particles.

You can find out more about Sellafield Ltd’s beach monitoring programme in their environmental and safety reports and in the Environment Agency document Monitoring beaches near Sellafield for radioactive material.

Organisations involved in protecting the public

There are several different organisations involved in protecting the public from radioactive objects and they have different roles and responsibilities.

Environment Agency

The Environment Agency regulates Sellafield Ltd and requires them to:

• use ‘best available techniques’ to prevent them discharging any more radioactive objects from the site

• monitor for radioactive objects

The Environment Agency also oversees Sellafield Ltd’s monitoring programme.

UKHSA

UKHSA advises on:

• the public health risks from contact with radioactive objects in the environment

• how to respond to these risks

FSA

FSA advises on the risks from unknowingly eating radioactive particles which may be in seafood and they advise on how to respond to these risks (for example, by using food controls).

Local authorities

The relevant local authorities are Copeland Borough Council and Allerdale Borough Council (Cumberland Council from April 2023). They carry out any measures needed to protect the public based on the public health and food safety advice from UKHSA or FSA.

Nuclear Decommissioning Agency

The Nuclear Decommissioning Agency (NDA) is the owner of Sellafield Ltd and funds the site clean-up.

Sellafield Ltd

Sellafield Ltd safely manages radioactive materials and wastes to prevent the loss of radioactive objects to the environment. They manage the monitoring programme and provide information to the public, regulators and health protection bodies.

COMARE

The Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) advises the Environment Agency on the radioactive objects monitoring programme.  

COMARE is a Department of Health and Social Care expert committee that provides independent advice to government departments, devolved administrations and government agencies.

Finds notification and intervention

These are the steps the organisations will take if there is an unusual find (or find-rate) of radioactive particles, or of larger objects, on the beaches close to where Sellafield Ltd operates.

Sellafield Ltd will:

• retrieve the radioactive particles or larger objects found by their monitoring programme and take them to a laboratory to analyse (characterise) levels of radioactivity and dose rates

• examine the results of the analysis to see if any lower or upper notification levels have been exceeded (these levels are explained in the next sections)

• review information about finds on a quarterly basis, including numbers and trends of particles found, their type and location

• examine the find rates to see if they exceed any lower or upper notification levels

The lower and upper notifications levels have been agreed with UKHSA and FSA and are based on those in the Public Health England report Assessing the risk to people’s health from radioactive objects on beaches around the Sellafield site.

We set out what these notification levels are in the sections ‘Lower notification levels’ and ‘Upper notification levels’ later in this guide.

Exceeding lower notification levels

The purpose of the lower notification levels is to provide an early warning. This prompts the organisations to take action so they can understand the nature of the change and what it may mean.

The lower notification levels are based on:

• unusual finds

• find rates which are about 10 times higher than historical find rates

• average particle activities which are about 10 times higher than the historical average activities

If lower notification levels are exceeded:

1. Sellafield Ltd will tell the Environment Agency and NDA.

2. The Environment Agency will tell the appropriate local authorities, UKHSA and FSA.

3. The Environment Agency will review the information. If appropriate, they will get advice from UKHSA and FSA on what actions (if any) they should consider. The organisations will share information and work together to agree a co-ordinated response.

Their decisions will take into account how many notification levels have been exceeded and by how much. Actions may include:

• doing more analysis of the particles

• changing the monitoring programme

• considering whether they need to take any of the upper notification level actions

4. Each of the organisations will carry out the actions within their own areas of responsibility and will report information to local and national stakeholders (for example, COMARE).

Exceeding upper notification levels

The purpose of the upper notification levels is to prompt the organisations to decide whether they need to review or control the risks to members of the public.

The upper notification levels are based on a level of risk that would mean the organisations need to consider starting to take some action.

If upper notification levels have been exceeded:

1. Sellafield Ltd will promptly tell the Environment Agency and NDA.

2. The Environment Agency will promptly tell the appropriate local authorities, UKHSA, FSA and COMARE.

3. The Environment Agency, UKHSA, FSA and local authorities will review the information that indicates the upper notification levels have been exceeded. They will agree what action is needed, sharing information, and working together to agree a co-ordinated response.

Actions may include:

• changing the monitoring programme

• reviewing the public health risks

• controlling sources of food, such as fish and shellfish

• providing advice to the public (for example, signage)

• reviewing this notification and intervention plan to make sure it is still fit for purpose

4. Each organisation will carry out the actions within their own areas of responsibility and will report information to local and national stakeholders (for example, COMARE).

Lower notification levels

This section sets out the different lower notification levels.

Lower notification levels for unusual finds

The lower notification levels are reached when the:

• laboratory gamma scan result for a particle shows more than 1 megabecquerel (MBq) of americium-241 activity

• field estimate of equivalent skin dose rate for a particle is more than 300 milligray (mGy) per hour

• find (particle or object) appears unusual in terms of its radioactivity, radionuclide or physical characteristics

Whilst larger objects pose a lower risk than particles, a particularly unusual object could need further analysis. Decisions about whether an object needs further analysis will be made on a case by case basis.

Lower notification levels for particle find rates on beaches

The lower notification levels are reached when find rates are more than:

• 10 particles per hectare of alpha-rich particles, predominantly containing americium-241 which emits alpha-radiation and some weak gamma radiation

• 1 particle per hectare of beta-rich particles, predominantly containing caesium-137 which emits both beta and gamma radiation

Alpha-rich particles have higher find rates, so the lower notification level is higher to take this into account.

Trends for particle find rates are worked out each quarter on the basis of either the:

• 1 year rolling average find rates for beaches monitored quarterly

• maximum rolling average find rates over an area of at least 10 hectares for beaches monitored less frequently

Lower notification levels for average particle activities on beaches

The lower notification levels are reached when there are more than:

• 0.2 megabecquerels of americium-241 for alpha-rich particles over a rolling 12-month period

• 0.2 megabecquerels of caesium-137 for beta-rich particles over a rolling 12-month period.

Upper notification levels

These upper notification levels apply to particles but not larger objects.

Notification levels for beaches

The upper notification levels are reached when find rates are more than:

• 10,000 particles per hectare of alpha-rich particles, predominantly containing americium-241 which emits alpha-radiation and some weak gamma radiation

• 50,000 particles per hectare of beta-rich particles, predominantly containing caesium-137 which emits both beta and gamma radiation

The notification level for alpha-rich particles is lower because they pose a greater risk to people than beta-rich particles.

Trends for particle find rates are worked out each quarter on the basis of either the:

• 1 year rolling average find rates for beaches monitored quarterly

• maximum rolling average find rates over an area of at least 10 hectares for beaches surveyed less frequently

Notification levels for offshore monitoring

The notification levels for offshore monitoring (using any technique) are reached when find rates are more than:

• 5 particles per tonne for alpha-rich particles

• 3 particles per tonne for beta-rich particles

These offshore notification levels do not include the probability of detecting radioactive particles and this would need to be taken into account for any monitoring technique used. For example, a detector towed across the seabed may only have a 10% probability of detecting radioactive particles of interest due to the absorption of radiation by seawater and sediment. But a hand-held monitoring of grab samples of sediment brought to the surface may have a detection probability closer to 100% for any radioactive particles of interest.

Contact us

For more information please email the Environment Agency’s Nuclear Regulation Group:

nuclear@environment-agency.gov.uk