Radioactive material leaked from storage area at nuclear site

Safety: Operators say there was no risk to staff or environment

A leak of radioactive material triggered fresh nuclear safety concern at the Dounreay site in Caithness, it can be revealed.

It has emerged that a mixture containing uranium radionuclides leaked from a transport drum storage area at the complex earlier this year.

The quantity was initially thought to meet the criteria for informing government ministers of the incident.

However, a later investigation by the operators of the site found the volume did not meet that threshold, and there had been no risk to staff or the environment.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), which highlighted the incident in its latest site report for Dounreay, intends to follow up the investigation.

A spokeswoman for site operators Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd (DSRL) said: “A small leak developed in a transport drum storage area on the Dounreay site.

“There was no release to the environment and no risk to personnel.

“Regulators were informed, an investigation was carried out and the cause was identified and remedial actions were put in place. It was not reportable under the ionising radiations regulations and it was confirmed there had been no breach of conditions under the Site Environmental Regulations permit.”

An ONR spokesman said: “In relation to the leakage, the initial investigation subsequently identified that the actual amount of leakage was significantly less than first assumed, and was in fact below the threshold for formally notifying ONR.

“The leakage was contained within the contingency measures for such incidents and the nonvolatile nature of the liquid meant there was no risk to workers or to the public as a result.

“We are awaiting the final investigation report.”

Meanwhile, the ONR site report for the period between January and March also highlighted an incident involving a crane in which “an operator became snagged in the lifting tag line”.

A DSRL spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that the crane lift was stopped immediately and nobody was injured.

“An investigation was launched and operations stopped until both DSRL and the contractor were satisfied that work could safely resume.”

Scottish Green Highlands and islands MSP John Finnie said: “Safety at Dounreay is a serious concern, and these are not the first incidents flagged up by the regulator.

“Radioactive waste was disposed of at the site for decades, and even after closure will remain deadly beyond the timescale of any containment measures yet invented.

“Nuclear power is neither safe, clean, cheap nor lowcarbon once you factor in waste storage, and leaves an open-ended legacy of serious environmental risk.”