Impact & Legacy
AWE’s effect on members of the public is minimal. Even the most pessimistic assumptions calculate the annual radiological effect on our neighbours as ‘insignificant’ – i.e. less than the additional radiation exposure resulting from a two-hour flight in a passenger jet aircraft.
However, we take nothing for granted and constantly monitor the environment. In a typical year, around 3,000 samples of air, vegetation, soil, surface water, sediment, rainwater, fish and milk are collected. These samples are subjected to more than 7,000 tests, so we can be sure that our discharges cause negligible risk to the population or the environment.
Independent studies have confirmed that, after more than 50 years of operation, our cumulative effect is negligible.
Legacy
While the sites remain safe and today our standards are very high, there are some legacy issues we are working hard to address. We have brought together an Environmental Projects Group to ensure our environmental liabilities are prioritised, and are delivering an effective remediation programme across the company.