No enhanced radiation exposure around the Asse

The offer to discuss things at the info market was made good use of.

“No enhanced radiation exposure could be detected in 2010 by the independent measuring institution in the vicinity of the Asse II mine.” Frank Gragert from the Saxony-Anhalt Federal State Office for Nature Conservation (Landesamt für Umweltschutz Sachsen-Anhalt, LAU) said this in front of an audience of 200 persons on 23 February in the Wolfenbüttel Lindenhalle on the occasion of a public briefing on the topic of radiation protection and the Asse mine.

Upon an invitation of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) experts provided information about how authorities ensure that the people living in the area of the Asse repository be protected against radioactivity. Very popular was an info market presenting eleven stands which, apart from the LAU, also the Lower Saxon agricultural analysis and research institute (LUFA Nord-West), the local citizens’ initiative Aufpassen e.V., the Asse-GmbH and the BfS took part in. Interested people crowded in particular around the stands, the measuring probes, contamination measuring devices or a layer model of the mine..

Audience and the podium discussed radiation protection issues for two hours.

In the panel discussion which lasted for nearly two hours and which was moderated by Dr. Michael Ahlers from “Braunschweiger Zeitung” the visitors took the opportunity to raise their questions and concerns. “Also in terms of radioactive waste retrieval we need to reach a high radiation protection standard,” BfS head of department “Radiation Protection and Environment”, Dr. Gerald Kirchner, said, which the audience applauded to. “I wish that in future radiation experts and residents jointly took samples when walking through the vicinity of the Asse on a regular basis,” a visitor encouraged. The BfS has air, soil, water, fruit, vegetables, milk, needles and foliage examined regularly to detect possible radiation exposures. “I’ve learned a lot tonight,” a woman from Kissenbrück summarised her impression of the public briefing.

With a lecture Dr. Kirchner had made the introduction to the topic “Radiation and radiation protection”. The head of the BfS Repository Surveillance unit, Thomas Ege, presented the fundamentals of environmental monitoring. Frank Gragert (LAU) gave a lecture about the results of environmental monitoring.