Seek shelter 'best option' in nuclear incident

The report considered nuclear risks to the Channel Islands

Channel Island authorities will advise people to seek shelter in the unlikely event of a nuclear incident affecting the islands.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) looked at nuclear risks to the islands as part of "routine risk and business continuity planning".

It said the risk of a nuclear incident occurring was extremely low and its review considered the worst-case scenarios.

The UKHSA recommended shelter-in-place and stockpiling iodine be considered, but the pan-island Radiation Advisory Group decided shelter was the most appropriate choice for the islands.

'Shelter-in-place'

Nearby nuclear sites in France, radioactive waste dumped in the Hurd Deep trench off Alderney in the 1950s and 1960s and the transport of nuclear materials by ship in the seas around the Channel Islands were the risks considered.

The sites in France looked at were the Orano La Hague nuclear fuel reprocessing site, the Flamanville nuclear power station and Cherbourg's naval dockyard, where nuclear submarines are dismantled.

The UKHSA said if an incident happened at one of these sites wind direction and weather were important - wind could blow the radioactive material towards the islands and rain would cause more of it to land on the islands.

Based on five years of weather data it said with the prevailing wind being from the west and south west it was unlikely a plume would be blown towards the islands.

The UKSHA said if any material was due to arrive in the island the "best option" for people was to "shelter-in-place".

This means going inside, closing doors and windows and turning off ventilation fans and air conditioning.

However, in its modelling of a very large release of material at the Orano la Hague site, which it said was extremely unlikely due to the safety procedures in place, sheltering was only needed in 5% of cases.

French nuclear submarines are being dismantled in dry docks in Cherbourg

The review's recommendations included:

• Continue the programme of analysing marine environmental samples to provide reassurance

• Consider plans to deal with radioactive releases to Channel Islands territorial waters

• Continue engaging with French authorities on the safety of French nuclear sites and on emergency communication

• Consider planning for the implementation of sheltering and stable iodine, if required, after a release of radioactive material into the air

• Plan for communications following an emergency, particularly if no action is required. Plan for communicating with visitors to the Channel Islands.

The Radiation Advisory Groups for both islands met to discuss the review's recommendations.

The groups voted against stockpiling stable iodine in favour of focusing on sheltering in the unlikely scenario of a nuclear incident occurring.

The Orano la Hague in La Hague, France, is a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant

Prof Peter Bradley, Jersey’s director of Public Health, said: "This review was part of our risk assessment cycle, and the findings are reassuring, indicating that the likelihood of such an incident is very low.

"The UKHSA considered worst case scenarios, which is important for context, and even in the highly unlikely event of such an incident, our typical weather patterns would likely minimise any risk to public health."

Dr Nicola Brink, Guernsey's director of Public Health, said: "The key public health advice would, should such an unlikely event occur, be for the community to seek shelter as a priority.

"It was this, rather than stockpiling iodine, that the pan-island Radiation Advisory Group unanimously voted to be the most proportionate course of action when considering all relevant factors."