Dear Colleague,

SOUTHERN ENGLAND RADIATION MONITORING GROUP (SERMG)

Like most people, you probably don't spend much time thinking about what you would do if a major emergency occurred in your area. For most of us life threatening emergencies are a rarity but even so you will be only too aware of the public's expectations of local authorities at times of emergency or suspected threat to public health and well-being.

Over the years most local authority emergency plans have focused on what might be called "conventional disasters" - flooding, transport crashes, large fires, and of course during the "Cold War Years" civil protection in the event of a nuclear war. Thankfully, no one was ever called upon to test their plans for real in respect of a nuclear attack, but as we saw with Chernobyl threats to public safety can arise from incidents thousands of miles away and releases of nuclear material do not respect national, civic or natural boundaries.

After Chernobyl many local authorities found that they had either very little or no ability to reassure their residents about actual and changing levels of radioactivity in their area. It was as a response to the need for independent, reliable and updated data that the SERMG was formed. This consortium of councils from across the whole of southern England has been a major provider of environmental radiation data to local and national government and to many associated agencies. SERMG is arguably the largest and best LA radiation scheme in existence. We would urge you to consider whether, in the event of a real emergency, the other national radiological agencies could provide your local region with the information it craves.

As Chernobyl faded into a distant memory, some Council's understandably thought that SERMG's relevance to them should decline. Yet in today's world where unstable regimes, cross-frontier disputes and outright terrorism can easily result in the deliberate release of radioactive material, SERMG's role for local authorities is as important as ever.

If you add the risk from international unrest to that from the uncontrolled trade in nuclear material following the break up of the USSR, then the deliberate or accidental release of radioactive materials is very real. All of this is on top of the licensed radioactivity sources (for commercial, academic and health care purposes) that legitimately exist within your area.

SERMG, through its contractors at Southampton University, have ensured that its member Council's have:

• Ongoing data about environmental radiation in the area
• Access to advice and guidance on radioactivity
• Rapid access to on site assessments in the event of an actual or suspected incident
• The ability to question those who would try to reassure you that all is well - when maybe you or your community thinks it might not be!

Your Council was a member of SERMG, but its membership has lapsed - yet for just £2000 p.a. you could have all the services and reassurances which it can provide. We realise that in today's world, local authorities have to account for every penny but of course you also have to account to your community when they demand answers and reassurances that all is well. If there was even a small explosion in your area and someone suggested it was a so called "dirty bomb", could you be sure that it was just a rumour? SERMG membership provides you with an independent and respected radiological assessment capability that is genuinely good value.

I would ask you to take a little time to consider this letter and the contents of the pack which accompany it. Then, if you are unsure about the answers to the issues we have raised, put in a call to your Chief Environmental Heath Officer to ask two questions

• "Are we sure that we don't need SERMG's Services?"
• "What would we do if the community thought that our area had been exposed to radioactive contamination?"

We suggest it should be SERMG because Local Authorities set it up. It represents very good value for money and responds directly to LA needs.

Yours faithfully,

Alan Higgins (Chair of SERMG Steering Group & City Environmental Health Officer for Portsmouth)
Dr Ian Croudace (SERMG Project co-ordinator, University of Southampton)