JERSEY’S emergency plans are being updated in the wake of a review into nuclear risks to the Channel Islands.
The review, which was conducted by the UK Health Security Agency, was jointly commissioned by the governments of both Jersey and Guernsey and looked at a number of “worst-case scenarios” involving a nuclear or radiological incident (see full story on pages four and five of today’s JEP).
It involved extensive research and hundreds of computer simulations, analysing potential radioactive contamination from accidents at a range of sites – including several French nuclear facilities.
Public health director Professor Peter Bradley explained that, while a nuclear disaster was extremely unlikely, the review had been commissioned as part of the government’s “risk assessment cycle”.
Professor Bradley continued: “It was just reassuring to look at these risks thoroughly and have a really expert body, the UKHSA, give us that reassurance that the risks are really as low as we thought that they might be.”
Radiation advisory groups for both islands have also met to discuss the recommendations included within the review, and examined the potential benefits of stockpiling stable iodine – which can be taken as a tablet to protect against the effects of radiation in certain circumstances.
However, Prof Bradley explained that the group voted unanimously to recommend against doing so.
Instead, having Islanders immediately seek shelter was deemed as a more appropriate response to a nuclear incident.
Professor Bradley said: “Their decision was based on the fact that stable iodine tablets would only be necessary in one specific scenario, coupled with the significant practical challenges of ensuring timely and secure distribution of the tablets to the community.”
He also said that the Island’s emergency plans were being updated, and that the review had also allowed the government to “really consider what the best protective measures are”.
“Although we are advising that sheltering is definitely the most effective [response], we considered a number of other measures and we’ve just assessed them according to the benefits and the risks that they might incur.
“We’re very confident about our plan now because it’s based on science,” he added.
Islanders can find a summary of the UKHSA’s report on the gov.je website.
