LOOKING AT THE FINAL SITE OPTIONS On behalf of the Dounreay Stakeholder Group, UKAEA has published a consultation document detailing the feasible options for the condition of the site when decommissioning is complete. While a final decision on the future use of the land does not need to be made for a number of years community views are being sought now to allow the NDA and its contractor UKAEA to finalise their plans for decommissioning the site with greater certainty.
Following the installation of the 25 tonne crane that is now impressively taking centre stage high over the partially clad building, the interior construction work is rapidly progressing and the layout of the pioneering plant to remove the breeder elements from DFR is beginning to take shape. A site inspector and an assessor from the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) have recently accompanied members of the project team to the offices of SGN in Cherbourg, the French company appointed to design, manufacture and install the process cell.
A panel of experts has identified a short-list of 11 feasible combinations of options for addressing the legacy of radioactive particles in the marine environment around Dounreay. The options will be detailed for the first time tonight at the Environmental Research Institute in Thurso when Phil Cartwright (UKAEA) and Paul Dale (SEPA) will provide an update on the recent work undertaken to understand the extent of the contamination and the human health aspects respectively.
GROUP PUBLISHES SOCIO ECONOMIC STRATEGY. A working group chaired by John Thurso MP and comprising of key stakeholders in the economy around Dounreay has completed its work with the publication of a strategy for addressing the social and economic consequences of site closure.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is pleased that a clear policy framework for managing higher activity radioactivity wastes in the UK has been decided upon. Today's (Wednesday 25 October) announcement by the UK Government and devolved administrations in response to the recommendations made by the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) foresees this type of radioactive waste being managed in the long term by means of geological disposal and, until such a facility exists, it will be stored in safe and secure interim facilities.
UKAEA Dounreay today published updated figures about employment at the site and projections of reducing manpower needs as more of the fast reactor experiment is cleaned out and demolished. The report - available on-line here states: Current employment levels of approximately 2000 are expected to reduce by 500 over the next five years.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is distributing, under licence, initial copies of this map to organisations, including the Scottish Executive, local authorities and emergency services. The map gives an indication of the areas in Scotland potentially at risk of flooding from either rivers or the sea, or both.
The third Area Waste Plan Annual Reports published today reveal how local authorities are helping to tackle waste produced throughout each area in Scotland. The reports, which are available on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) website, are broken down into the 11 individual waste plan areas.
PRINCESS ANNE TO OPEN TEST CENTRE. Princess Anne is to officially open Britain's first purpose-built nuclear clean-up test, trials, training, research and development centre as part of a visit to Caithness on Tuesday, October 10.
UKAEA recently invited a group of Dounreay's retired workers back to site to see the decommissioning work taking place at Dounreay. During their return to site Gordon Bailey, Frank Sinclair, Sinclair Calder, Ernie Lillyman, Jonathon Kirk and Rolland Shallcross were informed about the shaft isolation project and saw for themselves the changes that have taken place at the shaft including the raised working platform which was recently constructed.
REACTOR CONTROL ROOM IS CONSIGNED TO HISTORY. What was once the hub of the next generation of nuclear power plant, a hive of activity buzzing with the thrill of ground-breaking technology, is now in stark contrast an empty shell.
Speech by Liz Cameron Chief Executive Scottish Chambers of Commerce Caithness Chamber AGM, Park Hotel, Thurso 19 September 2006 Ladies & Gentlemen, good afternoon. First may I say how delighted I am to be here in Scotland's true North East? It is always uplifting to the spirit to leave the City behind and breathe the clear air, admire the stunning scenery and enjoy the warm welcome of the North of Scotland.
All of Scotland's bathing beaches have passed the European standard water quality tests for the first time since monitoring began 20 years ago. On the final day of the 2006 bathing waters season, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) can reveal that all of the 63 designated bathing waters have passed either EC 'mandatory' or stricter 'guideline' standards.
UKAEA has completed a three-month programme of offshore monitoring surveys to improve understanding of the location of irradiated fuel particles in off-shore sediments using a remotely-operated monitoring device. The results are being compiled and a preliminary report has been sent to the Dounreay Particles Advisory Group and Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
HOTSPUR CELL CLEAN-OUT IS DECOMMISSIONING MILESTONE. Dounreay has passed an important decommissioning milestone by successfully cleaning up and dismantling the first of the heavily-shielded facilities in the fuel cycle laboratories, known as the Hotspur cell.
Personnel from BNG's sites at Chapelcross and Hinkley Point visited the practical training facility at Dounreay recently, to watch a training session for the second year SVQ apprentices taking place in the simulated nuclear plant. Gordon Anderson, John Rogerson and Charles Thomson were on a fact-finding visit to see at first hand how the simulator training is improving the skills of the apprentices.
Dounreay is once again the location for the child safety awareness event Safe Highlanders. Around 335 primary seven pupils from Caithness and North Sutherland will attend the event, sponsored by Caithness Community Safety Action Team and UKAEA, at Dounreay Visitor Centre over the next two days.
A number of inaccurate and misleading statements about radioactive particles in the marine environment around Dounreay have been published today in an article in the Daily Telegraph. UKAEA believes it is important the public has access to accurate and balanced information about particles and the risk they pose, so that people can make informed judgements about the use of beaches etc.
FIRST STEPS TO SHAFT DECOMMISSIONING NEAR COMPLETION. The first stage in the shaft isolation project is nearing completion with the finishing touches being put to the raised working platform.