West Cumbria Sites Stakeholder Group

News archive

News

Guidance Note on Environmental Radiological Monitoring

The Environment Agency (EA), Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Food Standards Agency (FSA) are seeking views on their Environmental Radiological Monitoring Technical Guidance Note.

We would welcome any comments you have on this guidance note which is available at the following link on SEPA’s website:

http://www.sepa.org.uk/radioactive_substances/publications/guidance.aspx

Background.

The Environment Agencies' guidance note was originally developed by a sub-group of the Radiological Monitoring Standards Working Group (RMSWG) including experts from Regulatory / Advisory Bodies and the Nuclear Industry. The RMSWG is a sub-group of the Nuclear Industry Liaison Group and has representatives from the Environment Agency, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Food Standards Agency, nuclear industry and other experts.

It is intended that the guidance note will be issued as a joint Environment Agency, SEPA and FSA document.

Purpose of the Guidance Note

This document provides guidance on planning and implementing routine environmental radiological monitoring programmes. It seeks to:
• Provide good practice guidance on how to design environmental radiological monitoring programmes.
• Provide guidance on the objectives and principles underpinning monitoring programmes, for both operators and regulators, providing clarity on the monitoring roles.
• Help nuclear operators comply with the requirements to use Best Practicable Means or Best Available Techniques when designing and implementing their environmental radiological monitoring programmes.
This guidance is aimed primarily at designing new or reviewing existing environmental radiological monitoring programmes around nuclear licensed sites for the purpose of monitoring the environmental effects of authorised discharges. It also applies to programmes designed to meet international obligations.

Timeframe.

The review will last for 6 weeks. We would welcome your comments by 9th September 2010.

Please send your responses to:

jane.rowe@environment-agency.gov.uk