Environmental Monitoring for West Cumbria in 2012 (Sellafield & LLWR nr Drigg)

1. Environmental Monitoring for West Cumbria in 2012 (Sellafield & LLWR nr Drigg) John Titley Monitoring, Assessment and New Reactor Permitting

2. Contents • Permitted discharges from Sellafield • Permitted disposals of solid wastes to the LLWR • Effluents and gaseous check monitoring. • Solid LLW check monitoring • Environmental monitoring in West Cumbria. • Doses to public in West Cumbria. • Conclusions.

3. A number of changes to site permit limits for discharges came in to effect: 1 June 2012. Gaseous Ruthenium-106 Iodine-131 Radon-222 added to permit Liquid Strontium-90 Zirconium-95 + Niobium-95 Ruthenium-106 Neptunium-237 Curium-243 + 244 Sellafield’s permit in 2012 - 1

4. Discharges of gases; mists; dusts Gross alpha & beta activities. 13 specified radionuclides. All discharges of radionuclides well below permit limits. Liquid releases via sea pipe-line. 16 nuclides specified, 2 alpha/beta and 1 for U by mass. Variation in discharges from changes in amount of fuel reprocessed. All discharges of radionuclides well below permit limits. Sellafield’s permit in 2012 - 2

5. Units of reporting are in Bq Until 2009 the unit of reporting was TBq 10 TBq = 1.0E+13 Bq 1 TBq = 1.0E+12 Bq 0.1 TBq = 1.0E+11 Bq Reporting discharges in 2012

6. Sellafield’s sea pipe discharges (Bq/y)Note:- 1.0E+12 Bq = 1 TBq All discharges 2-39% of limits

7. Sellafield’s atmospheric discharges 2012 (Bq/y)Note:- 1.0E+12 Bq = 1 TBq 13 nuclides specified, 2 alpha/beta All discharges 1- 160% of site limits

8. No change to limits on liquids, gases and solid waste disposal at the site. Disposals of LLW resumed 2012 Quantities disposed were low – due to diversion of LLW to other disposal routes A new habit survey was published in 2013 LLWR permit status in 2012

9. Disposals to LLWR in 2012 (Bq/y)

10. Operated by Studsvik UK Ltd. Located at Lillyhall Industrial Estate. Processes metallic LLW for recycling. Permitted discharges – Liquids - alpha limit = 5E+05, discharge = <1% beta limit = 5E+05, discharge = <1% Gases – alpha limit = 5E+05, discharge = <1% beta limit = 5E+05, discharge = 3.4% Metals recycling facility - permit status 2012

11. Effluent and gaseous discharge check monitoring 2012

12. Effluent & gaseous discharge check monitoring 2012 • Agency checks on radionuclides in discharges & disposals in its check monitoring programme • Aerial discharges (bubblers & filters) • From Sellafield (Magnox Reprocessing & THORP) • Liquid effluents • From Sellafield (EARP, SIXEP, SETP, Factory Sewer, Lagoon & Laundry) • From site boreholes – introduced in 2006. • From LLWR (near Drigg) • Solid LLW disposals • To LLWR from nuclear sites in England and Wales.

13. Sellafield - gaseous monitoring 2012 Overall 2012: 52 analytical comparisons.

14. Sellafield - liquid effluent monitoring 2012 Overall 2012: 457 analytical comparisons

15. Sellafield borehole liquids - 2012 • Regular programme – started 2006 • Quarterly check monitoring samples from 5 boreholes • Compare with Operator’s results • Provide reassurance that Operator’s monitoring arrangements for borehole water is satisfactory • Checks - total alpha, total beta, H-3, Sr-90, Tc-99, and gamma emitters (Cs-137 etc).

16. Sellafield borehole liquids check – 2012 • 116 analytical comparisons carried out of which: • 82% good comparison • 3% poor - Sellafield finding higher results than EA • 15% poor - Sellafield finding lower levels than EA • Majority of the poor comparisons were very low activity samples were or only just classed as “poor”

17. LLWR - liquid effluent monitoring 2012 • Overall 2012: 14 analytical comparisons.

18. Changes to LLW management and disposal. Wastes - segregated, sorted and treated. Much less material for disposal to LLWR. Fewer ISO consignments of mixed waste. New EA checking (assurance) arrangements for LLW. New contract in place Targeted checking at key locations. Checking of solid LLW

19. Harwell – we undertook analysis of samples of waste (underground drains) being disposed of at the Kingscliffe Landfill in Northamptonshire. In the past this waste would have been sent to the LLWR Monitoring at Harwell ongoing Checking of solid LLW from Harwell

20. We created 4 reference waste bags with known amounts of radioactivity in Set so that sometimes they were below the legal definition of radioactivity (‘out of scope’) and sometimes above (LLW) Tested 4 bag monitors at 3 locations where bag monitors were part of sentencing of waste Checking of solid LLW Sellafield

21. Radioactivity was set in one part of the bag Several masses and densities Bags offered in various orientations Overall the tests indicated that the bag monitors were over-measuring levels All the bags were sentenced as LLW whereas based on what was in them – some were ‘out of scope’. Checking of solid LLW Sellafield

22. Environmental Monitoring in 2012.

23. Environmental Monitoring in 2012 • The Environment Agency is responsible for monitoring non-food parts of the environment. • Sediments, water, seaweed, grass, soil, dose rates, gulley pots • Ensuring the dose limit of 1 mSv/y is not exceeded • The Food Standards Agency is responsible for monitoring the food chain. • Fish, shellfish, milk, vegetables and meat. • Ensuring that doses from foods are assessed. • Results from both organisations are used to assess total dose – compared with dose limit.

24. Environmental Monitoring in 2012 • Monitoring of Gully pots - Seascale & Whitehaven:- • Gullypots in road drains - good indicators of urban contamination. • Seascale - high activity concentrations from pigeons in 1998 • Concentrations much reduced since remedial measures in 1998. • In 2010, elevated Sr-90, Cs-137, Am-241 and Puconcs were found in one Seascale road drain. • Further review of gully pots in 2012 MSc student

25. Environmental Monitoring in 2012 MSc Thesis – Choon Yee Tan Activity ratios in sediments from the two gully pots in the vicinity of the ‘bird sanctuary’ have been constant and closely associated with the legacy. Ratios in sediments from other gully pots variable reflecting different sources Review of all monitoring over 13 years – no sign of re-occurrence of contamination.

26. Environmental dose rates 2012 • Cumbrian and Lancashire Coastlines • Average UK background dose rates • silts 0.07 Gy/h • sand 0.05 Gy/h • Highest annual dose rates (2011 in brackets) • River Mite 0.15 Gy/h (0.16Gy/h) • Newbiggin 0.13 Gy/h (0.14 Gy/h) • Upper River Calder 0.10 Gy/h (0.11Gy/h)

27. W Cumbria Coast - Dose rate trends

28. Gamma dose rates above mud & salt marshes in NE Irish Sea(Fig 2.23)

29. Summary - silt concs – Eskmeals

30. West Cumbria – Eskmeals. Co-60 levels in sediments (Bq/kg) and discharges (TBq/y)

31. West Cumbria - Eskmeals Ru-106 levels in Sediments (Bq/kg) and discharges (TBq/y)

32. West Cumbria - Eskmeals Cs-137 levels in Sediments (Bq/kg) and discharges (TBq/y)

33. West Cumbria - Eskmeals Am-241 levels in Sediments (Bq/kg) and discharges (TBq/y)

34. West Cumbria - Eskmeals Pu-239/40 levels in sediments (Bq/kg) and discharges (TBq/y)

35. Concs of Am-241 & Cs-137 in coastal sediments in the NE Irish Sea (Figure 2.22)

36. Doses in West Cumbria in 2012

37. RIFE-18: Presents ‘total dose’ first ‘Total dose’ methodology agreed in 2004 Information on habits around nuclear sites ‘Total dose’ assessments completed at all nuclear sites Doses using other slightly different methods retained – but not highlighted at the front of the report Presentation of doses in RIFE – 18 for 2012

38. Summary of non food doses (mSv/y)

39. Total dose summary (mSv/y)

40. Total dose (mSv/y) West Cumbria (local seafood consumers)

41. Conclusions – 1 Disposals and discharges • No changes to permit limits for LLWR. • Some changes to permit limits for Sellafield site. • Discharge monitoring – • broadly acceptable agreement for liquid and gaseous discharges from Sellafield and from LLWR. • Disposals of LLW resumed • Solid LLW checking resumed

42. Conclusions – 2 Environment • Dose rates - general unchanged • Co-60, Ru-106 levels in marine environment follow discharges closely • Pu-239/40, Am-241 and Cs-137 concs in environment (in particular Esk Estuary) don’t follow discharges closely. • Residue of higher historic environmental burden from 1970s and 1980s continue to affect levels seen. • Results are “noisy” with variation from year to year • Am-241 levels influenced by ingrowth from Pu-241. • Po-210 concs in crustaceans increased in 2012 v 2011

43. Conclusions – 3 Doses • Highest doses associated with Sellafield past discharges increased slightly in 2012 v 2011 because of slight increase in consumption of molluscs in 2012. • Highest doses associated with past discharges from Whitehaven phosphate plant increased because of higher levels of Po-210 in crustaceans and an increase in crustacean consumption. • Total dose from past discharges from both plants increased. • Reduction in doses to houseboat dwellers caused by on board measurements being used (lower than calculation). • Total dose < 1 mSv/y dose limit.

44. End • End

45. Checking of solid LLW from Sellafield2013 • We monitored a consignment of waste going via the new combustible waste route from SL • 4 stages:- • a) 50 waste bags (highest doses) were taken from a consignment during the packing process. We used in-situ HRGS to monitor them.

46. b) 10 of the bags were then opened and examined, hand held monitoring and sub-samples were taken for analysis to investigate the fingerprint. c) The bags were re-packaged and returned to the ISO. We undertook in-situ HRGS of the full ISO container. Checking of solid LLW from Sellafield

47. d) Analytical work is still ongoing on the samples, looking at the major components of the fingerprint. Checking of solid LLW from Sellafield