§ Mr. SalterTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what discussions he has had with Hunting-Brae since the Environment Agency served an enforcement notice on AWE Aldermaston, concerning the presence of tritium from the establishment in the Aldermaston stream; and if he will make a statement; [76021]
(2) if he will make a statement on the enforcement notice served on AWE Aldermaston by the Environment Agency following the alleged illegal discharge of tritium into the River Kennet. [76022]
§ Mr. SpellarThe Chief Executive of Hunting-BRAE Ltd. made the MOD aware of the Environment Agency's intention to serve an enforcement notice on AWE Aldermaston in early February.
An enforcement notice was duly served by the Environment Agency on 9 February 1999, requiring Hunting-BRAE to provide information to the Agency on discharges of tritium into the Aldermaston stream, and to make proposals to bring the discharges under regulatory control.
685WThe Environment Agency has declared that, because the levels of radioactivity are not a danger to human health or the environment, it has decided not to stop the discharges. It also stated that the radiation dose from tritium in this groundwater at the point of entry into the Aldermaston stream is about 100 times less than the annual European radiation dose limit and 200 times less than natural background radiation. The stream flows into the River Kennet. I understand that samples taken downstream at Padworth bridge indicate that by that point, the levels are close to the limits of detection.
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