Campbell Gemmell, chief executive of SEPA, said the UKAEA had offered assurances regarding the safety of the area before a proper risk assessment had been done. SEPA’s concerns follow the publication of a report on the UKAEA website in December, which claimed certain radioactive particles posed a “low” risk to human health. In a letter to Norman Harrison, the head of Dounreay, Gemmell wrote: “SEPA has commissioned a revised risk assessment of the health risks associated with the particles and, until this work is concluded, I consider that such a statement may be premature and is certainly oddly timed.” The letter also adds that the particles, which contain caesium-137, “do pose a potential hazard to human health and, if present in sufficient numbers, could pose a significant collective risk to health”. The letter goes on to state that assurances that particles of caesium-137 can be considered as not being a hazard is “inappropriate, misleading and would provide false assurances to any persons reading this document”.

Gemmell also criticised the UKAEA for publishing conflicting figures on the number of particles that have polluted the sea bed. Independent tests have been carried out on the devices and results are expected next month. Since November 1983, more than 900 particles — fragments of irradiated nuclear fuel — have been found on the sea bed and another 238 on the enclosed beach at Dounreay. A further 59 have turned up on the public beach at Sandside and one on the public beach at Dunnet, which is close to the Castle of Mey, a former residence of the Queen Mother.

Sunday Times 16th April 2006