Minutes and bodies
A number of organisations have an interest in the particles issue and meetings with key organisations are held on a regular basis. Dounreay is accountable to a number of these organisations.
DSRL's particles team attends bi-annual meetings held by the Scottish Government with representatives from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Particles Retrieval Advisory Group (Dounreay) - formerly DPAG, Health Protection Agency (HPA), Food Standards Agency (FSA), Highland Council (HC) and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). The minutes of these meetings can be found here:
Minutes of meeting, September 2009
Minutes of meeting, January 2009
Minutes of meeting, August 2008
Minutes of meeting, April 2008
Minutes of meeting, November 2007
Minutes of meeting, March 2007
Minutes of meeting, October 2006
Minutes of meeting, February 2006
A number of organisations have a key interest in the particles issue. These include:
- Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE)
COMARE is an independent expert advisory committee with members chosen for their medical and scientific expertise and recruited from universities, research and medical institutes. The committee offers independent advice to all Government departments and devolved administrations, not just the health departments, and is responsible for assessing and advising them on the health effects of natural and man-made radiation in the environment. It is also asked to assess the adequacy of the available data and advise on the need for further research.
- Department of Energy and Climate Change
DECC is a department of the UK Government that sponsors the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). The NDA in turns contracts DSRL to deliver the Dounreay clean-up programme. DECC is accountable to the UK Parliament for NDA’s funds, activities and programmes.
- Dounreay Particles Advisory Group (DPAG)
DPAG was an independent body set up by UKAEA and SEPA in May 2000 to provide independent scientific advice on the particles issue. It has been succeeded by the Particles Retrieval Advisory Group.
- Dounreay Stakeholder Group (DSG)
DSG is a forum for community reresentatives to scrutinise issues arising from the decommissioning and closure of Dounreay. It is part of a network of site stakeholder groups established by the NDA at its sites across the UK.
- Food Standards Agency (FSA)
The Food Standards Agency is a UK-wide Government Department, with devolved offices, which has
responsibility for protecting the public's health and advising Ministers in relation to food.
- Health Protection Agency (HPA)
The HPA is an independent body that protects the health and well-being of the population. The agency plays a critical role in protecting people from infectious diseases and in preventing harm when hazards involving chemicals, poisons or radiation occur.
- Highland Council (HC)
The Highland Council is the unitary local authority for the area, with particular interests in planning and development issues associated with decommissioning.
- Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA)
The NDA is a non-departmental public body, set up in April 2005 under the Energy Act 2004 to take strategic responsibility for the UK’s nuclear legacy. Its core objective is to ensure that the 20 civil public sector nuclear sites under its ownership are decommissioned and cleaned up safely, securely, cost-effectively and in ways that protect the environment for this and future generations. DSRL is contracted to the NDA for the clean-up of the Dounreay site, including particles.
- Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
Safety at Dounreay is the responsibility of DSRL which must comply with a site licence and other relevant health and safety legislation regulated by the NII.
- Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
SEPA regulates the disposal of radioactive waste at Dounreay and other aspects of the site's environmental impact. This is primarily by means of authorisations granted under the Radiation Substances Act, consents issued under the Control of Pollution Act, and permits issued under the integrated Pollution Prevention and Control regulations. These contain limits and conditions with which DSRL must comply.
- Scottish Government Rural Affairs and Environment Department (SGRAED)
SGRAED is responsible for advising Scottish Ministers on policy relating to agriculture, rural development, the environment and fisheries, and for ensuring the implementation of those policies in Scotland.
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