Urenco UK Ltd, Capenhurst

Local Authorities with nuclear facilities in their area, are now required to review their emergency plans and create additional strategic level plans for wider areas around these sites. These are known as Outline Planning Zones. Protective arrangements for people in the Outline Planning Zone would only be activated if it was determined the risk from the event extended beyond the area for which detailed emergency plans already exist.

The Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2019 Schedule 5 recommends a 5km outline planning zone for sites such as Urenco UK Ltd. This distance has been accepted in the operator's Consequence Report.

Outline Planning Zones are always circles around specific sites and defining the zone this way allows those who will have to respond to such an event, such as police, fire and other emergency services, to draft public protection plans ready to be put into operation.

The Local Authority is required to provide safety information to residents who live beyond the Urenco UK Limited Detailed Emergency Planning Zone (DEPZ) and within the 5km Outline Emergency Planning Zone. It is unlikely that you will be asked to take immediate actions in the event of a radiation emergency but the following information describes the steps that might be taken.

The emergency services and local authority will alert people of a radiation emergency at Urenco UK Ltd using the channels available to them. This will include the news media (local TV and radio), web and social media. In addition, schools and care homes will be alerted directly by the local authority.

If radiation is released from the site, people can be exposed by breathing in radioactive material; being directly exposed to radioactive material in the air or deposited on surfaces; and/or eating and drinking food contaminated by radioactive material.

You may be advised to go indoors or stay indoors, with windows and doors closed, to reduce the risk of breathing in or coming into direct contact with any radioactive material which may be deposited.

The emergency services will issue information, advice and instructions on what action (if any) you should take through the local media. Therefore, it is important that you 'stay in and tune in'.

However, it is only people who are within the DEPZ of the site who would immediately be advised to stay indoors.

If there are any restrictions on food and drink during an emergency they will be communicated by local TV and radio. Prior to any announcement of any food or drink restrictions, you should avoid eating uncovered food, such as fresh vegetables from the garden. It should be safe to drink/use fresh tap water and to consume covered food and drink that you already have within your house.

It is unlikely that anyone who lives around the Urenco UK Limited site will be advised to evacuate immediately. After assessing the hazard, the emergency services may subsequently advise people to evacuate or to take shelter.

If a wider evacuation is necessary, you will be told which routes to use to leave the area via local TV and radio, or by door to door visits by the emergency services. Rest Centres will be set up to care for people unable to make their own arrangements.

The Council will be in contact with all schools and care homes in the area and will provide specific advice to these facilities in the event of an emergency. These facilities should maintain contact through existing communication channels for further advice and information.