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On July 19th, it was discovered that a small quantity
of uranium powder had been washed from some corroded drums which are
awaiting repackaging and remediation in a purpose built store at
Chapelcross.
The full circumstances surrounding the event are
still being investigated but it would appear that a blocked gutter within
the building combined with heavy rainfall, meant that water seeped down
the internal wall. The drums were stacked adjacent to this wall. A small
quantity of material seeped through the wall and affected a very localised
area adjacent to the building wall. The event will be the subject of a
full investigation by Chapelcross management. The event has been notified
to both the Health and Safety Executive and the Scottish Environmental
Protection Agency.
Uranium has a low level of radioactivity and in
this instance there are no implications for the health and safety of our
workforce or the general public. No one has been contaminated and there is
no reason to believe that any member of the workforce has received an
extra radiation dose. The area is now being cleaned up and the quantity of
material which has been released is being formally assessed. Some
colleagues from BNFL's Springfields site near Preston, who have more
experience of dealing with uranium oxide, are helping the staff at
Chapelcross with this technical work. The event has been rated at Level 1,
the lowest level on the International Nuclear Event Scale.
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