The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned that a hypothetical nuclear accident in the UK or Europe could lead to the contamination of food in Ireland with radiation.
Documents provided to the Irish Farmers Journal by the EPA show that officials discussed the fallout of a nuclear accident with the Department of Environment in 2022.
The most significant threat to human health would be consuming contaminated milk or meat from grazing animals or vegetables, fruits and cereals.
In the event of such an accident, under the Radiological Protection Act, the Minister for Agriculture may regulate the transport, sale, consumption, slaughter, disposal or harvesting of food, crops, animals and fish.
It further provides that the Minister for Health may regulate the import or export of any food.
Response
In farming, the document said the worst period for an accident to happen would be in mid-May when the livestock are outdoors and feed is in short supply.
Early February would also be a negative time for such an incident to occur, as most livestock are still indoors and only some uncontaminated animal feedstuffs would be available.
According to the EPA report, the response to such a hypothetical event would include placing grazing animals on protected feed, protecting drinking water supplies that directly use rainwater and restricting the consumption of non-essential local produce and milk from grazing animals.
“EU maximum permitted levels (MPLs) in food for sale would be introduced. The aim of MPLs is to keep the total radiation dose from foodstuffs in the first year after the emergency below one [effective dose of radiation],” the EPA document said.
Sellafield
Formerly known as Windscale, Sellafield is a large nuclear site in the northwest of England. Along with Wylfa Newydd in Wales and Hinkley Point C in Somerset, the three facilities are located relatively close to the east coast of Ireland.
The EPA has recommended that any responses to a nuclear accident incident would have a maximum radius of 300km from the nuclear facility.
A 300km radius from Sellafield nuclear facility. / CalcMaps.
However, the Irish Government’s National Plan for Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Exposures states that there is a low risk of Ireland being majorly affected by nuclear accidents at Sellafield.
“The risk of releases of radioactive materials that could impact Ireland from these incidents originating within facilities at Sellafield is low because of the design of the processing systems there.”
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned that a hypothetical nuclear accident in the UK or Europe could lead to the contamination of food in Ireland with radiation.
Documents provided to the Irish Farmers Journal by the EPA show that officials discussed the fallout of a nuclear accident with the Department of Environment in 2022.
The most significant threat to human health would be consuming contaminated milk or meat from grazing animals or vegetables, fruits and cereals.
In the event of such an accident, under the Radiological Protection Act, the Minister for Agriculture may regulate the transport, sale, consumption, slaughter, disposal or harvesting of food, crops, animals and fish.
It further provides that the Minister for Health may regulate the import or export of any food.
Response
In farming, the document said the worst period for an accident to happen would be in mid-May when the livestock are outdoors and feed is in short supply.
Early February would also be a negative time for such an incident to occur, as most livestock are still indoors and only some uncontaminated animal feedstuffs would be available.
According to the EPA report, the response to such a hypothetical event would include placing grazing animals on protected feed, protecting drinking water supplies that directly use rainwater and restricting the consumption of non-essential local produce and milk from grazing animals.
“EU maximum permitted levels (MPLs) in food for sale would be introduced. The aim of MPLs is to keep the total radiation dose from foodstuffs in the first year after the emergency below one [effective dose of radiation],” the EPA document said.
Sellafield
Formerly known as Windscale, Sellafield is a large nuclear site in the northwest of England. Along with Wylfa Newydd in Wales and Hinkley Point C in Somerset, the three facilities are located relatively close to the east coast of Ireland.
The EPA has recommended that any responses to a nuclear accident incident would have a maximum radius of 300km from the nuclear facility.
A 300km radius from Sellafield nuclear facility. / CalcMaps.
However, the Irish Government’s National Plan for Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Exposures states that there is a low risk of Ireland being majorly affected by nuclear accidents at Sellafield.
“The risk of releases of radioactive materials that could impact Ireland from these incidents originating within facilities at Sellafield is low because of the design of the processing systems there.”
Read more
Colm McCarthy: It is time to reconsider our energy sources
Renewables supply 50% of EU electricity demand in first half of year
Reconsidering our nuclear options
Are large-scale wind turbines a suitable substitute for fossil fuels?
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