Annual Report for 2010/11 and Forward Programme - Sellafield Ltd

SSEM/2011/4730 June 2011ContentsPurpose of this report .............................................................................................. 1Contents.................................................................................................................... 2List of Tables ............................................................................................................ 4List of Figures........................................................................................................... 41. Introduction........................................................................................................... 62. Background........................................................................................................... 72.1 Origin of the large area beach monitoring programme ............................................72.2 Beach monitoring methods.........................................................................................92.3 Beach monitoring findings to date ...........................................................................102.3.1 Locations ...............................................................................................................102.3.2 Find rates...............................................................................................................102.3.3 Find sizes ..............................................................................................................112.3.4 Find classification ..................................................................................................122.3.4.1 Alpha and Beta-rich ........................................................................................122.3.4.2 Alpha-rich .......................................................................................................122.3.4.3 Beta-rich .........................................................................................................122.3.4.3 60 Co rich..........................................................................................................122.3.5 Analysis of finds.....................................................................................................132.4 Sources and Pathways of beach finds.....................................................................132.5 Offshore monitoring...................................................................................................152.6 Risk Assessment........................................................................................................153. Progress during 2010/11.................................................................................... 173.1 Beach Monitoring 2010/11 ........................................................................................173.1.1 Introduction............................................................................................................173.1.2 Beach monitoring programme specification for 2010/11 .......................................173.1.3. Achievement of the 2010/11 beach monitoring programme.................................173.1.3.1 Detection capability of radionuclide populations...........................................173.1.3.2 Area coverage ................................................................................................183.1.4 Beach Finds..........................................................................................................193.1.4.1 Particles and Stones.......................................................................................193.1.4.2 Geographic distribution of finds ......................................................................233.1.4.3 Find rates per hectare ....................................................................................233.1.4.4. Find Classification .........................................................................................263.1.5 Risks from particles found in the environment.......................................................323.1.6 Conclusions...........................................................................................................323.2 Find Analysis and Statistics......................................................................................333.2.1 Introduction............................................................................................................333.2.2 What has been achieved with this analytical data? ...............................................343.2.2.1 Key Findings from Sellafield Ltd Analyses .....................................................343.2.2.2 Key Findings from External Analyses Contracts ............................................533.2.2.3 Key Findings from GIS Analysis .....................................................................563.2.2.4 Key Findings from Statistical Techniques Analyses .......................................593.2.3 Analysis Conclusions............................................................................................633.3 Offshore Monitoring...................................................................................................643.3.1 Hydrodynamic Modelling Contract.........................................................................643.3.2 Progress on analysis and interpretation of existing swath bathymetry data..........653.3.3 Progress on measurements of bed shear stress in the vicinity of the Sellafielddischarge pipeline...........................................................................................................673.3.4 Progress on the literature review of airborne transport of particles in the Cumbrianbeach environment.........................................................................................................713.4 Monitoring R&D: Evaluation of Airborne Gamma Spectrometry...........................73© Nuclear Decommissioning Authority 2011. 2