A spat between the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency and Sellafield Ltd has highlighted a little publicised though worrying facet of pollution from the Cumbrian nuclear facility.
Waste discharges via the sea out-fall pipe and airborne emissions have been focused on and monitored for years. However the possibility of radioactive particle pollution has tended to be confined to the environs immediately around the Sellafield plant.
However it now seems that SEPA believes radioactively contaminated particles could have migrated considerably further and they are pressing for funding to monitor beaches in South West Scotland.
Now the Celtic League have asked Manx authorities (see below) if they are aware of these fears and also what contribution the British government make to radioactive pollution monitoring carried out by the Manx government.
"The Chief Executive Mr Ken Kinrade Department of Local Government and the Environment Murray House Douglas Isle of Man
Ref: Sellafield Pollution - Radioactive particles/beach monitoring
Dear Mr Kinrade,
You may be aware of the current dispute between the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency and Sellafield Ltd.
SEPA officials want to conduct a survey of the Solway area to see if radioactive particles have washed up in Kirkcudbright and Southerness area from the Sellafield nuclear plant. Other beaches are also to be assessed
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) have agreed to pay 60 per cent of costs involved. But the project has stalled as Sellafield Ltd has so far failed to meet a funding shortfall under what SEPA say is the "polluter pays" scheme.
Given that SEPA believe radioactive particles may have migrated as far as the Kirkudbright coast from the Sellafield plant has DOLGE considered seeking funding so that similar in-depth surveys could be carried out of beaches on the north coast of the Isle of Man?
In addition given that the Isle of Man government regularly carries out surveys to assess the impact of radioactive pollution from Sellafield on the Manx environment has any funding to support this work been sought from the United Kingdom on the 'polluter pays' principle?"
See also Celtic News articles:
J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
20/10/07