NIS Nuclear Information Service | nuclear weapons/materials transport

Flawed MoD nuclear response could place emergency personnel at risk

Significant safety problems have been exposed in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) response to an accident involving nuclear weapons after an emergency exercise in East Anglia last year.

Had the exercise been a real emergency, civilian emergency personnel would have been placed at risk from explosions and radioactive contamination as a result of misunderstandings about key safety information because a specialist MoD nuclear emergency response team “did not emphasise the hazards adequately” and gave “insufficient priority” to liaison with emergency services, according to official post-exercise reports.

Convoy monitoring shows UK warhead programme is operating at a baseline level.

The annual summary of UK nuclear warhead convoy movements published by Nukewatch for 2010 shows that the UK's nuclear warhead programme is currently operating a baseline level, with a minimum number of warhead movements taking place over the year. The number of movements is consistent with the maintenance and surveillance needs of the programme.

Hansard on Nuclear Materials Transport, 2nd June 2008

A follow up question is to be put to discover the number of SEG operations for 2007/8 and if existing nuclear materials load carriers means the existing TCHDs (due for replacement as stated) or SNM vehicles - SMVs that NW has spotted only twice in a year.

*Mr. Hancock:* To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 30 April 2008, /Official Report/, column 484W, on radioactive materials: transport, what plans there are to use existing special nuclear materials load carriers to transport special nuclear materials before replacement carriers are commissioned; and if he will make a statement.

Plutonium Shipment to France, Contamination Risk for Southern England.

The transport of Plutonium (Pu) from the UK to France is highly controversial and should not be repeated. Not only is the sea transport vulnerable to the terrorism threat, but once it arrives at the Cap de la Hague nuclear site near Cherbourg, the whole of the south of England is put at risk of an accident during the Pu repackaging process.

Hanard on Nuclear Materials Transport

*Mr. Hancock:* To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 30 April 2008, /Official Report/, column 484W, on radioactive materials: transport, what plans he has to ensure that the refurbished truck cargo heavy duty trailers and newly purchased tractor heads are compliant with regulations on radiation hazard, with particular reference to the carrying of radiation hazard warning signs when loaded with special nuclear materials; and if he will make a statement.

Hansard on Radioactive Materials Transport

New nuclear weapons carriers to double for Special Nuclear Materials transport

Further details of the Ministry of Defence’s proposals to replace the vehicles used to transport nuclear materials by road have recently been released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request made by Caroline Lucas MEP.