Sheepfarming after Chernobyl: A Case Study in Communicating Scientific Information

The main cloud of radioactive contamination from Chernobyl passed over the United Kingdom on May 2-3, 1986. Rainfall was the major factor affecting local deposition of radioactivity, especially radioactive cesium. Sheep were being contaminated by ingesting grass contaminated with radioactive cesium. British government officials first reacted to this deposition by ignoring and denying the facts and then by recommending impractical solutions stemming from their ignorance of hill sheep farming. This study illustrates the need for improved, two-way communication between scientists and the involved public, particularly during national emergencies.