Dead radioactive goats could be buried in Shinfield

Scientists at the University of Reading experimented at the time on how radiation affected milk and metabolism, by injecting goats with radioactive isotopes. 

The National Institute for Research in Dairying (NIRD), based at Shinfield, was then part of the university and researched milk production and the dairy industry. 

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The research institute closed in 1985, but radioactive goats experimented on were ‘famous in NIRD folklore’, according to one American professor, Margaret Neville. 

Burying dead livestock was banned in the UK in 2003, to prevent the risk of spreading disease. Farmers must now dispose of animals at places like incinerators, renderers, and hunt kennels. But before the ban, farmers would reportedly often bury dead animals in pits on their own land.

James Stockbridge, who lives in Shinfield near to the old NIRD estate, has asked the university to be transparent about what records they have on experiments done and goats buried.  

He said: “The university urgently needs to be transparent with residents, neighbours and occupiers of ex-NIRD land about both what is, and what might be, in the ground and in the water.”

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But there is no risk to the health of people living nearby, according to a spokesperson for the University of Reading. 

The spokesperson said: “There is no evidence of any such contamination, or risk to people’s health, on university land in Shinfield where homes have already been built, or on land subject to plans for future development.

“This is fully documented in reports that have been freely available in the public domain for several years.”

Academic papers describe how NIRD researchers in 1950 experimented on the metabolism of goats, injecting them with radioactive carbon-14. The researchers milked the goats, then measured how radioactive the milk was, before killing the animals.

The research also explains how fallout from nuclear weapons contains radioactive isotopes, like strontium-90. Researchers at NIRD in the 1960s, who were concerned about these isotopes contaminating the milk supply, experimented on removing them from milk — this involved injecting goats with strontium-90.

Some animal burial pits were found and cleared in March and April 2016. These were on land previously owned by NIRD, known as the Manor. Workers on behalf of Persimmon Homes, who wore radiation protection, found bones, animal faeces and nitrile gloves. 

According to a remediation report from August 2018, seven pits were found on the Manor site including one with ‘slightly elevated levels of radiation’. The report stated: “Bones were picked from the clay soil and placed into one-tonne bulk bags.” 

The remediation report had a map showing separate buildings for: 

• Experimental small animals

• Isotope unit (sheep) 

• Goat house 

• Laboratories (with use of radioactive materials).

The report also listed remaining risks, one of which was radiological contaminants. It stated: “Uncertainty exists due to unidentified pits.” 

Mr Stockbridge said: “There were always rumours in the village, but we didn’t know they’d used nuclear waste and worked on nuclear fallout. There are many young families living here, so it does make you worry about the long term health impact.

“What we now know about the experiments in the 50s puts the onus on the university to show that there’s no risk once they start disturbing more waste. Can it categorically account for the safe use and disposal of all the radiological material that was used?  

“And what about things that are harder to find, like beta emitters, that you can just breathe? What hazards does the material used at NIRD present? Even if the risks are small, and the hazards long term, we need to know what they are.

“The university owes us a proper account of both risk and hazard. But it also needs to be clear about what it might not be aware of after all this time — unknown unknowns.

“Can it give us an absolute assurance that any radiological hazard in the ground, or in the water, can and will be found? That’s the real concern.”

The University of Reading spokesperson said: “Development of new housing can only take place when housebuilders, landowners and planners can show there is no risk to future occupants from any previous use. 

“This information is made freely available to the public through the planning process, with detailed information about ground investigations available online.

“We understand that these are people’s homes, and are happy to clarify any questions, as we always take an open and responsible approach on such matters.”