RADIOACTIVE DISCHARGES FROM THE NUCLEAR SECTOR TO THE NORTH-EAST ATLANTIC REDUCED

18 October 2016

RADIOACTIVE DISCHARGES FROM THE NUCLEAR SECTOR TO THE NORTH-EAST ATLANTIC REDUCED

The latest report from the OSPAR Convention for Protection and Conservation of the North-East Atlantic shows that measures to reduce discharges of radioactive substances to the marine environment are working.

The evaluation assessed the progress made by countries which are party to the OSPAR Convention towards the objective of the OSPAR Radioactive Substances Strategy, which aims to reduce discharges of radioactive substances to the North-East Atlantic.

The results of OSPAR's Fourth Periodic Evaluation show clear evidence of substantial reductions in 35 out of 53 assessments across the nuclear sub-sectors between 2007 and 2013 when compared to the baseline period (1995-2001). Furthermore, none of the other assessments showed any evidence of increased discharges.

Dr Gwynn, Chair of OSPAR’s Radioactive Substances Committee (RSC), said that this was “the result of commitment and cooperation from Contracting Parties. Looking ahead, RSC will continue its valuable work with the nuclear industry at the same time as further developing its work to include an evaluation of discharges from the non-nuclear industry in its next assessment”.

OSPAR’s Radioactive Substances Committee also published a fact sheet on historic dumping of low-level radioactive waste in the North-East Atlantic. The fact sheet summarises information about the dumping, by a number of European countries, of low-level radioactive waste in the North-East Atlantic from vessels from 1949 until the practice was banned in 1982.