Environmental monitoring programme. Report for 1988 on the environmental impact of authorised discharges of radioactive wastes in England and Wales

The Inspectorate's programme of environmental monitoring during 1988 was completed satisfactorily. This report, which is the first of an intended series of annual reports, presents the data from this monitoring programme. The programme concentrates on monitoring activity levels in environmental materials which might result in radiation exposure of the public from non-food pathways. It is intended to complement similar annual reports published by MAFF. Total alpha and total beta activities were measured and full details of these and other analyses are given. The sites monitored were the four sites operated by British Nuclear Fuels PLC at Sellafield, Drigg, Springfields and Capenhurst, and their surrounding areas, the reactor sites operated by the Central Electricity Generating Board and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, the Amersham International sites at Amersham and Cardiff, the Ministry of Defence Procurement Executive site and two non-nuclear sites where tritium gas is involved. Several landfill sites were also monitored. The programme acts as a check on site operators returns and provides independent data on the environmental impact of authorised disposals of radioactive waste and on radiation doses to critical groups of the public. In all cases radiation exposures which might have been incurred by members of the public are estimated to have been less than ICRP's recommended principal dose limit of 1mSv per year. (author)