Post-Chernobyl monitoring and controls

Tuesday 11 April 2006

Three reports on the monitoring of sheep on farms remaining under post-Chernobyl restrictions were published today by the Agency.

In 1986, an accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the former USSR (now Ukraine) released large quantities of radioactivity into the atmosphere. Some of this was deposited on certain upland areas of the UK where sheep are farmed.

In order to protect the health of consumers, restrictions were placed on the movement and sale of sheep from areas of the UK where contamination levels in sheep meat were over 1,000 becquerels (a measure of radioactivity) per kilogram, the safety limit set in 1986.

In 1986, almost 9000 farms were under these restrictions in the UK. Since then, the levels of radioactivity have fallen in some of the affected areas and the number of farms still under restriction in Cumbria, Scotland and Wales is now 374.

Based on the results obtained, the reports propose that none of the farms still under restriction in Cumbria and Wales should have their restrictions lifted in the near future. In Scotland, the results led to one farm being released from restrictions in January 2006.

The Agency plans further surveys so farms can be released from restrictions when the levels of radioactivity in sheep are within safety limits.