Rise in radioactive particles on Dounreay foreshore concerns 'people who live and work in the area'
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The rise in the number of radioactive particles found on the Dounreay foreshore this year is causing concern to "people who live and work in the area".
Gillian Coghill, a former Highland councillor and chairwoman of the Buldoo Residents Group, made the claim at a meeting of the Dounreay Stakeholder Group (DSG) in Thurso on Wednesday night.
She hit out after figures on the gov.uk website revealed 15 particles, containing caesium 137 and cobalt 60, were found between February and March. Seventy-three per cent of the particles were described as "significant" and said to have "a realistic potential to cause harm to members of the public". Five particles were found in 2021.
Mrs Coghill said it is unacceptable that the public did not find out the information until seven months later when reports appeared in the press.
She called for updates on the particles as soon as they are found. "Catch up is no use. Why did we only hear about them in October? That is not acceptable."
Her concerns were shared by David Craig of the Caithness West Community Council and Tor Justad, the chairman of the Highlands Against Nuclear Transport campaign group.
Mr Craig described the particles as "a legacy issue" but said the rise in the number is causing concern to the public. He said the 15 found up to March was the highest since 17 were discovered 26 years ago but people only found out about it when reports appeared in the local and national press several months later. He would like to see the data on the particles "as soon as possible".
Mr Craig pointed out there is a two kilometre fishing exclusion zone around Dounreay to stop sediment being disturbed on the seabed but pointed out there is concern about the potential disturbance of radioactive particles from the nearby Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm. Initial investigations have been carried out in connection with the project with further work expected to be undertaken, he stated. "We need to keep a very keen eye on that," added Mr Craig.
But Mr Justad pointed out: "There is no evidence to link these two things together."
He also called for more regular and up-to-date reports on radioactive particles found around Dounreay and was not reassured by being told the public does not use the foreshore.
Mr Justad said: "That is not helpful. Radiation knows no boundaries and there is concern that it could affect a much wider area than that. We are not getting the information the public is looking for, especially the people living in the immediate area."
DSG chairman Struan Mackie said it is important the group gets reports on the particles in "a timely manner" and is informed about such issues.
"It is of the utmost importance that these matters are dealt with in a robust but transparent manner," he said.
Mac MacGill, Dounreay security and resilience director, acknowledged there was an increase in radioactive particles found on the foreshore this year and stressed that monitoring will continue. He said the risk to the public remains low.
A Dounreay spokeswoman previously said: "The foreshore is not used by the general public. We are looking at wind and wave data to see if we can pinpoint a trend, and will report our findings when they are complete. Safety is our number one priority and we continue to monitor the foreshore on a regular basis.
"The particles in the marine environment around the site were deposited during Dounreay’s research operations in the 1960s and 1970s, and cleaning up that legacy is an important part of our mission to shut down the site safely and securely, ready for its next use."
At that time, a spokeswoman for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency said: "We are content that the monitoring and retrieval programme in place continues to provide appropriate protection for the public."
The Dounreay nuclear plant was shut in 1994 and is presently being decommissioned.
