§ Mr. Speedasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the accidental discharge of radioactive gas from Dungeness power station on 3 March 1986; and if he is satisfied with the publicity arrangements that are made for such incidents.
§ Mr. GoodladAs I have informed my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard), I am advised by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate for the Health and Safety Executive that approximately 100 lb of slightly contaminated carbon dioxide was released following overheating of the pre-heater of a small separate plant which is attached to the Dungeness A power station for the purpose of treating carbon dioxide cooling gas.
The amount of radiation released in this incident (estimated at less than 25 micro-curies of sulphur 35) is only one sixtieth of the station's typical actual daily release of sulphur 35, itself regarded by the radiochemicals inspectorate as negligible, already permitted under the authorisation issued by the Secretary of State for the Environment. Typically such authorisations to stations of this type permit daily releases 10,000 times the amount released in this incident, although, of course, operators are required to keep releases as low as reasonably achievable. The incident caused no injury to or contamination of anyone on or off the site, and no danger to the reactor. The incident was, therefore, not formally reportable under the incident reporting arrangements announced by my right hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, Central (Mr. Moore) on 26 July 1982, although the NII and my Department were notified. It was also agreed as part of those arrangements that the NII and the operators at each site should inform the local population about any incidents which might have consequences outside the site. I am satisfied with the arrangements.