Screening level assessment of releases from oil and gas platforms on marine Natura 2000 sites

In the United Kingdom the European Commission Wild Birds and Habitats Directives have been implemented by the Conservation (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1994 creating designations of Special Protection Area (SPA) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) respectively; together these form part of Europe’s Natura 2000 set of protected habitats. The Conservation (Natural Habitats) Regulations have been interpreted, in the UK, as requiring an evaluation of the potential impact of authorised discharges of radioactive substances on these Natura 2000 sites. The process of assessing authorised releases in Scotland has recently begun. All authorised discharges from non-nuclear sites to the marine environment have been identified. A large proportion of the authorisations in Scotland are for oil and gas platforms, predominantly discharging 226Ra and 228Ra in ‘produced waters’.