§ Mr. BorrowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what impact the construction of the Ribble Link between the Lancaster Canal and the River Ribble will have on radiation levels in the Ribble estuary [155230]
§ Mr. MeacherPlans for the construction of the Ribble Link have included environmental assessments of the potential impact on radioactivity levels in the estuary and associated areas. These assessments indicate that the impact on the river and the estuary will be very low. The estimated increases in the levels of radioactivity are 3 per cent. and 0.2 per cent. respectively. The assessments also indicate that the radiation dose impact of the work to members of the public will be insignificant. The dose to those most likely to be affected—Ribble netsmen and consumers of local fish—is calculated to be less than 2 microSieverts a year. This is 2 per cent. of the relevant public dose limit trom man-made sources of 1,000 microSieverts. (The average dose from background radiation is 2,200 microSieverts a year.) The estimated dose levels are below the levels of regulatory concern set in the relevant legislation.
The Environment Agency will continue to undertake its own independent environmental radioactivity monitoring programme of the River Ribble and the estuary area and will publish the results in its annual report.