NSG Ltd

NSG have successfully completed land remediation works for SKM Enviros at the former Defence Aviation Repair Agency site at Fleetlands in Hampshire. Works included the excavation, segregation and removal of artefacts containing Radium-226 (typically WWII aircraft dials) and Radium-226 impacted soil and ash.

The Site Team, led by Site Supervisor Gary Mitchell, completed a Gamma Survey of the site and marked out any areas that exhibited signs of radiological activity before recording the areas on a map and taking note of count rates. There was also a requirement to complete an Alpha and Beta survey and removal of a disused fuel storage tank and associated containment following the discovery that radiological activity extended beneath the tank.

Areas identified for remediation work had all impacted material excavated, segregated and sentenced based on activity levels to the correct waste stream for appropriate disposal as either low level waste or under an exemption to landfill. The remediated areas then had verification surveys conducted to ensure that activity levels were suitably low prior to reinstatement of the excavations. Any radioactive soil/artefacts were assayed and placed in a drum for disposal as low level waste.

Iain Muir, Project Manager for SKM Enviros stated, ‘the remediation works were undertaken on an active commercial site with no disruption to the day to day business activities on the site. The bucket assaying methodology was effective at allowing us to categorise the soils into their respective reuse/ waste streams as they were excavated. It also allowed us to keep to a minimum the amount of material that needed to be disposed of as low level waste.