Radioactive Contamination EH perspective Wendy ......2016/06/04  · Fareham Borough Council Tips For LA • Speak to the specialist advisor undertaking the work –what equipment,

Fareham Borough Council

Radioactive Contamination

EH perspective

Wendy Shakespeare

Contaminated Land Officer

Fareham Borough Council

• Fareham Borough Council experiences

• HMS Daedalus

• Similarities & Differences with other con land investigations

• Quick look at RCLEA

• Development – Tips to make development run more smoothly

• Watchpoints

Overview

Fareham Borough Council

• Many military and ex-military sites

• 2011 MOD released a list of 15 radioactive contaminated

sites in UK

HMS Daedalus

DARA Gosport

Guardian (2011) http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/dec/20/mod-radioactive-world-war-two

Fareham Borough Council Experiences

Fareham Borough Council

• 1917 RNAS Lee on Solent

• Significant role during 1st

and 2nd World Wars

• Decommissioned 1996

• Purchased by public sector

1996

• 2012 Enterprise Zone

HMS Daedalus

Fareham Borough Council

• 2011 Outline planning application for retail, employments,

residential, community use, hotel, clubhouse, allotments,

public open space and landscaping –Approved

• 2011-present – numerous individual applications under the

outline

HMS Daedalus

Fareham Borough Council

• Desk Study

• Gap Analysis 2001

• Radiological survey 1996 of

Fire Training Ground

• Remediation exercise of FTG –

confirmation 1998

• Phase 2 radiological

investigation 2003

• Surface walkover 2004 & 2005

(100% coverage accessible

areas GPS)

• Intrusive investigation 2005 (69

trial pits)

HMS Daedalus – Radioactivity

Fareham Borough Council

• Radium 226

• Max activity of 4 Bq/g

• Max contact dose of 1.3µSv/h

• 11.39mSv/yr

HMS Daedalus

Fareham Borough Council

Background

PHE – average UK radiation dose is 2.7 mSv/yr

Part IIa

• An effective dose of 3 mSv/yr

• An equivalent dose to lens of eye 15 mSv/yr

• An equivalent dose to skin of 50 mSv/yr

Dose Levels - National Background and Part IIa

Fareham Borough Council

Recommendations of LQS submitted with Outline Application

• Remedial target of 0.3mSv/yr (residential uses)

• 0.34Bq/g

No longer appropriate – RCLEA revised 2011

• 3 mSv/y - RSGV is 35Bq/kg or 0.035Bq/g

• 2.6 mSv/y - concentration on site of 30Bq/kg or 0.03Bq/g

HMS Daedalus

Fareham Borough Council

• Process same - Desk study, site investigation, risk

assessment (RCLEA), remediation, validation.

• Soil sampling, soil gas sampling (esp Radon), water

sampling, indoor air monitoring

• Non intrusive & Intrusive survey methods

• Take account of background concentrations

Similarities

Fareham Borough Council

• Exposure pathways – inhalation of soil gas (Rn-222), soil ingestion,

ingestion of vegetables and soil on vegetables (internal radiation),

• Application of principles of BS10175: 2011+ A1:2013 and BS 5930:1999

• Minimising cross contamination during SI – spoil heaps, purged water

• ALARP applies in risk assessment and remediation

Similarities

Fareham Borough Council

• Exposure pathways – External whole body irradiation, skin

external irradiation (RCLEA)

• Types of equipment used – scintillation detectors

• Waste Disposal – Environmental permitting (need EA

permission in place before start digging)

Differences

Fareham Borough Council

DEFRA (2006) Industry Profile Industrial activities which have used material containing

radioactivity

http://uk.practicallaw.com/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobke

y=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1247264181979&ssbinary=true

Common Contaminants

Fareham Borough Council

Tips For LA

• Speak to the specialist advisor undertaking the work – what

equipment, limitations – detection, background concentrations, detection

limits, size of area surveyed and size of anomalies (grid size), sampling

• Speak to the EA – especially about permitting requirements https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/radioactive-substances-regulation-for-non-nuclear-

sites

[email protected]

Development

Fareham Borough Council

• Speak to PHE https://www.phe-protectionservices.org.uk/

01235 825313

• Refer to guidance – Ciria W30 good practice guidance for site

characterisation, RCLEA CLR 12, 13 & 14

• Use Soil Guideline Values in RCLEA (CLR 13)

• Use RCLEA to generate doses if you know activity on site.

Development

Fareham Borough Council

Soil Guideline Values

For Single Radionuclide

CLR 13 Appendix B

Nuclear Industry Group for Land Quality (2011) Qualitative risk assessment for land

contamination, including radioactive contamination

Fareham Borough Council

Tips for Developers • Employ specialist Radiation Consultant – consider if need RPA

• Arrange meeting with LA environmental health & planning prior to works starting

• Get consultants to review any previous radiological surveys

• Undertake new radiological surveys well in advance of starting on site

• Make a note of areas that cannot be surveyed and agree when this will be

surveyed

• Maintain dialogue through regular site meetings

• Consider contamination at depth

• All surveys have limitations – discovery strategy, toolbox talks and inform LA of

found items – speak to consultant again

Development

Fareham Borough Council

• Areas not surveyed e.g. surface concrete, roads

• Surveyed at depth?

• Correct material surveyed – not imported materials

• Radionuclides not picked up by the equipment

• Hiring of scintillation detectors and self assessment

• Units of measurement in assessment and conversions

between units of measurement

• Moving soil/ reduced digs/ drainage excavations – changes

to soil profile

Watchpoints