tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22738848117862243382024-03-16T18:52:59.813+00:00Milcon Research and ConsultingResearching the legacy of past and current military activitiesMilcon Research and Consultinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404482906081920312noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-10675408546498821742014-01-08T08:18:00.000+00:002014-01-08T08:19:50.491+00:00Dalgety Bay<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From <a href="http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/fife/ministry-of-defence-remains-committed-to-dalgety-bay-solution-1.173096" target="_blank">The Courier</a> :-</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"The Ministry of Defence has stressed it “remains committed” to playing an active role in finding a solution to radiation at Dalgety Bay.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>As crunch talks between the MoD and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency continued well into Monday night, the MoD said that, alongside other parties, it was committed in achieving a “long-term solution” to the radioactive contamination issues on the beach and foreshore area of the west Fife town.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The two parties were locked in a meeting with key stakeholders — including senior manager (protective services) Roy Stewart, representing Fife Council — to try to thrash out plans to rid the area of the radioactive stain it has carried for 23 years.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>It is hoped the talks could pave the way for a swift and decisive resolution to the problem of contamination which has emerged over the years from debris from dumped Second World War aircraft stationed at Donibristle.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Over the last three years 1,000 radioactive particles have been brought to the surface of the foreshore which has been fenced off to protect the community and visitors. One hundred particles are now washed up every month.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Local stakeholders, including the Dalgety Bay Forum, will be involved in the next stage of consultation on the outcome of Monday night’s meeting before formal plans are announced, possibly at the end of this month."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Little appears to happened with regard to Dalgety Bay since last years <a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/dalgety-bay-adjournment-debate.html" target="_blank">adjournment debate</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Courier press report on the meeting suggests that the Stakeholders and Regulators are doing their best to the MOD's feet to the fire. But there is no mention as to whether MOD has shifted its position in denying liability for the radioactive contamination at Dalgety Bay.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It appears yet again that the MOD is trying to drag the process out as long as possible and to avoid the situation at Dalgety Bay setting a precedent for the numerous other former MOD sites around the country where Radium or indeed other contaminates may be present and for which the risks to man and the environment may well be un-quantified.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This calls into question the ability of SEPA to act as an effective Regulator so far as the radioactively contaminated land regime and the MOD are concerned</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So yet another year has no gone by with little if any progress on resolving the issue of the radioactive contamination on the public beach at Dalgety Bay. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It will be interesting to see if another year passes with no resolution and the MOD still denying liability</span></div>
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Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-52289127196798104822013-11-13T18:03:00.001+00:002013-11-13T18:03:42.303+00:00How Britain risked triggering nuclear Armageddon<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Readers may remember media interest in operation "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Able_Archer_83" target="_blank">Able Archer</a>"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Guardian <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/nov/02/nato-war-game-nuclear-disaster" target="_blank">reported</a> "Cabinet memos and briefing papers released under the Freedom of </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Information Act reveal that a major war games exercise, Operation Able Archer, conducted in </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">November 1983 by the US and its Nato allies was so realistic it made the Russians believe that a </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">nuclear strike on its territory was a real possibility."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is therefore interesting to note that 20 years before a similar situation occurred in Britain a the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">height of the Cuban missile crisis when the world was on the brink of nuclear Armageddon.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipioDRj6kQkKWHBanhT0EZZDQqBkbIDbIlVC8ajolxZjXZDLZFI442cmF_JWHhLR0K78umRXz37enK9nIYuT55R9V9dU4uzGU3naYUxlHWDZQCV8t-tCy86ENv92ptgxdtXCI45pTOG0M/s1600/bluesteel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipioDRj6kQkKWHBanhT0EZZDQqBkbIDbIlVC8ajolxZjXZDLZFI442cmF_JWHhLR0K78umRXz37enK9nIYuT55R9V9dU4uzGU3naYUxlHWDZQCV8t-tCy86ENv92ptgxdtXCI45pTOG0M/s1600/bluesteel.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scott D Sagan in his book "The Limits of Safety" describes how in the early hours of the 27th of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">October 1962 the Commander in Chief (Air Marshall Cross) decided without reference to civilian </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">political authorities to raise the alert level of the British nuclear forces to " full operational </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">capability" able to launch within fifteen minutes or less against the Soviet Union and the Warsaw </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pact. It is even suggested that the Prime Minister was unaware of the situation. Senior civilian </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">officials had warned that such mobilizations had sometimes caused war.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The "Able Archer" exercise suggests that the lessons of 1962 had not been learnt and what reason </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">do we have to believe that they have been learnt today. Sufficient to say that human factors must </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">be at the heart of nuclear safety both civil and military. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It is also worthy of note that the operational aspects of the British nuclear weapons programme are only subject to MOD internal regulation rather than independent regulation by the Health and Safety Executive. So both the public and Parliament have to take on trust that operational aspects of the British nuclear weapon programme are being properly managed and safety standards maintained. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is worth remembering that the MOD is and will continue to be subject to deep and damaging </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cuts; how will these impact on the safety ?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Extract from The Limits of Safety -<a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0QncEfmwSXSdEpObnh1alpkMjA/edit?usp=sharing&pli=1" target="_blank"> British Alerting Actions</a></span><br />
<br />Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-65578209292846894952013-09-21T14:59:00.000+01:002013-09-27T16:17:34.196+01:00Nuclear weapon safety<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recent articles in the media have raised interesting questions about the safety of nuclear </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpymcpDjp1VB66ipf151vNc-Nq9p5Rrstrm6zcLVX5dRYjjKg77gJJ-GskD7RrBBuwwUMVsoTlX3sRFmkOedxQJ1nIbC_YMSSZkp4iBT3Ztshb23cuxPb2_rgOeaHNTjuIe8SSR8yw9bA/s1600/1961-Goldsboro-M39-453x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpymcpDjp1VB66ipf151vNc-Nq9p5Rrstrm6zcLVX5dRYjjKg77gJJ-GskD7RrBBuwwUMVsoTlX3sRFmkOedxQJ1nIbC_YMSSZkp4iBT3Ztshb23cuxPb2_rgOeaHNTjuIe8SSR8yw9bA/s320/1961-Goldsboro-M39-453x600.jpg" width="241" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">weapons. Whilst the media has focused on the US military the questions raised are equally applicable to the <b>safety of both current and and past UK nuclear weapons in particular and the MOD nuclear programme in general</b>. The media interest has been sparked by the publication of the book "<a href="http://youtu.be/nPFJAq7hN8M" target="_blank">Command and Contro</a>l", by journalist Eric Schlosser. The book chronicles America's terrifying nuclear mishaps and near misses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He recounts how in one incident in 1961, days after President John F Kennedy's inauguration, two hydrogen bombs were accidentally dropped on Goldsboro, North Carolina, as a B-52 bomber went into a tailspin. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Only the failure of a single low-voltage switch prevented disaster, Schlosser explained to the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24183879" target="_blank">BBC's Katty Kay</a>. "The bomb assumed it was being deliberately released over an enemy target - and went through all its arming mechanisms save one, and very nearly detonated over North Carolina," said Schlosser.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"And Robert McNamara had just become secretary of defence and he was terrified by this news. We nearly had a hydrogen bomb detonate a few days after JFK's inauguration that would have changed literally the course of history."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/t3SIQcy7rHQ" width="420"></iframe></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Full length interview below</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Above - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_independently_targetable_reentry_vehicle" target="_blank">MIRV War-heads</a> sitting on the delivery bus</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/20/usaf-atomic-bomb-north-carolina-1961" target="_blank">Guardian reported on the book</a> and quoted the author
"The US government has consistently tried to withhold information from the American people in order to prevent questions being asked about our nuclear weapons policy," he said. "We were told there was <b>no </b>possibility of these weapons accidentally detonating, yet here's one that very nearly did."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having previously read the "Limits of Safety" ( ref 1 ) by Scott D Sagan, the revelations made by </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eric Schlosse the author of the book </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Command and Control" are of little surprise to me as are the lessons for the UK Weapon programme.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This<a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0QncEfmwSXSLVRnWWQ4VTdONms/edit" target="_blank"> extract from "Limits of Safety"</a> shows the impact on safety of failures of corporate memory when "the complete disappearance of a number of B52 airborne alert accidents from Command's organisational memory" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Various failings in the MODs corporate memory have been <a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/file-lists-key-to-accessing-corporate.html" target="_blank">highlighted</a> which suggests the problems of of institutional memory loss are still endemic and lessons of previous incidents have not been learnt. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0QncEfmwSXSdEpObnh1alpkMjA/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Extract from "Limits to Safety" relating to the UK</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The<a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/incident-aboard-hms-astute-human.html" target="_blank"> incident on the nuclear submarine HMS Astute</a> where an officer was shot dead shows the importance of human factors and suggests that lessons from the past highlighted in the book "Limits of safety" have not been learnt.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lack of r<a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/astute-problems-no-investigation-of.html" target="_blank">oot cause analysis of the problems on HMS Astute</a>; this is a worrying indicator of the defects within the safety and management culture of MODs' nuclear programmes</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Further information</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_military_nuclear_accidents" target="_blank">List of military nuclear accidents</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.nukewatch.org.uk/accidents.php" target="_blank">UK nuclear weapon accidents </a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.atomicarchive.com/Almanac/Brokenarrows_static.shtml" target="_blank">Broken Arrow reports/incidents</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://blog.nuclearsecrecy.com/2013/09/27/final-switch-goldsboro-1961/" target="_blank">Final Switch Golsboro 1961</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Reference 1</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Limits-Safety-Organizations-International/dp/0691021015/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=IPFIEUW9I3WA&coliid=I2J1L4X524GSWV" target="_blank">"Limits of Safety"</a> by Scott D Sagan Princeton Press ISBN 0-691-02101-5</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-66548780825685424242013-09-17T08:54:00.002+01:002013-09-17T08:54:36.958+01:00Latest update on Carbon 14 at Chatham<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This post includes the the responses from the MOD and the Environment Agency (EA)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>FOI request to the Environment Agency 11 August</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Dear sir</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3DzvQpWXjwpQV-fL6yHHv7MRQDs4uNLsFvjoVfypF9VzJjb7X3lFsYnFMAgW-D9bxAjvMtyMOkMShtOQ_6uOLtgfOBW3jmCL8JxddH9ZI5yGItlavv3bvqTBxy7lIM9w_8QKctM1wn8/s1600/s101bw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3DzvQpWXjwpQV-fL6yHHv7MRQDs4uNLsFvjoVfypF9VzJjb7X3lFsYnFMAgW-D9bxAjvMtyMOkMShtOQ_6uOLtgfOBW3jmCL8JxddH9ZI5yGItlavv3bvqTBxy7lIM9w_8QKctM1wn8/s320/s101bw.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> the MOD in response to a recent FOI request (ref 1) has said that 0.95 GBq of Carbon 14 was disposed of by burial at Chatham Dockyard. The MOD had previously disclosed that the waste buried was short lived Cobalt 60. Has the EA been informed of this new information, if so what action is the EA taking to ensure the MOD provide updated risk assessment and ensuring that the burial site meets Regulatory standards. I feel that this is important, in that unlike other radioactive waste disposal sites, this site is in an urban area about to undergo redevelopment (ref 2) . Background information (ref3).</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>References</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1: </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/163548/response/414560/attach/html/3/20130731%20RFI%2004%2006%202013%20115119%20002%20Final%20Response%20Alan%20Chatham.pdf.html" target="_blank">Request for Information</a> under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Further to my letter of 26 July 2013, I am now in a position to provide you with a </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">substantive response to your request for information regarding nuclear waste disposal at </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Chatham Docks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2: <a href="http://www.chathamwaters.co.uk/about/" target="_blank">The Chatham Waters development</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/chatham-urban-nuclear-waste-dump-and.html" target="_blank">Chatham an urban nuclear waste dump and a lasting legacy of the nuclear submarine programme</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Environment Agency (EA) Response 30 August</b></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you for your enquiry in respect of a radioactive waste burial at Chatham, Kent.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>We have been aware of the authorised disposal of waste from the site at Chatham where the </i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ministry of Defence (MOD) operated part of the site as a submarine refuelling facility (both as Her </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Majesty’s Inspectorate of Pollution (HMIP) and now as the Environment Agency).</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HMIP was originally made aware that the wastes disposed of were primarily based on Cobalt 60 </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and that MOD’s environmental monitoring programme has also been based on Cobalt 60. We have </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">recently (in 2012) been made aware of the presence of Carbon 14 and earlier this month (August) </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of a maximum estimated activity - about 0.95 Giga Becquerels of Carbon 14 disposed within this </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">waste. MOD disposed of approximately 9000 cubic metres of waste at this site. Assuming the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">maximum activity of Carbon 14 this indicates an estimated activity concentration of about 0.04 </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mega Becquerel per cubic metre or 0.032 MBq per tonne. </span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You asked what action we are taking to ensure that the MOD provide an updated risk assessment. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In answering this we have taken into consideration current legislation and not legislation in force </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">when the disposals were made. If MOD or any other operator were to dispose of these wastes at </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the activities they contain today such wastes would be classed as “Out of Scope” under the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010 (Exemption Orders) – less than 10 Bq/g for Carbon 14 </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and 1 Bq/g for the previously declared Cobalt 60. As such the material or waste that was disposed </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">would not be classified as radioactive waste. </span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The basis on which the numerical values and waste disposal criteria have been developed are </i></span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">mainly related to the radiation dose which might be received by a member of the public. For out of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">scope values the criteria adopted for artificial radionuclides are based on a radiation dose of 10 </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">microsieverts per year to a member of the public. These dose criteria have been selected on the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">basis of representing an appropriate level of risk below which regulation is not necessary In this </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">particular case disposal made historically by the MOD at Chatham would now meet the criteria for </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">being out of scope of regulation and regulatory control. Radiation impact assessments conducted </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">take into account a wide variety of possible pathways and assume that no controls are placed on </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the disposals. Therefore we do not need to revisit the MOD risk assessment at this time. </span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>In addition we have with discussed with MOD how these wastes were actually buried and </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>ultimately capped when the site was closed. As your question also referred to the adequacy of </i></span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">controls it may be of interest to you that the disposal of what was then classified as Low Level </i><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Waste at the Chatham burial ground was subject to a number of conditions as stated in the </i><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">approval certificate. These included a condition that the waste should be capped with at least 1.5 </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">metres of non-radioactive earth and that the specific activity of the waste (and material used for </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">capping) must not exceed 3000 micro curies per cubic metre (111 MBq/m3). These are similar </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">regulatory requirements that would be placed on a landfill site receiving out of scope waste today </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and at the end of its life or when capping a completed landfill cell.</span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The site is still owned by MOD. We have not been involved in detailed discussions with the MOD </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">over the future of this site or any redevelopment. At this time there is no further engagement </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">expected between ourselves and the MOD. If the MOD were to sell this land then the impact of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">any redevelopment would be a matter for the developer. If approached we would recommend </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">that the developer contacts the MOD for information on the material buried, location and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">radioactive inventory. Any redevelopment might then need to take account of the specific type of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">development. "</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Environment Agency is to be commended on providing this information in particular the </span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">information about risk and dose. It is worrying that at no stage did the MOD provide this </span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">information."</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The EA is silent on the issue that Carbon 14 was disposed of without proper consideration of the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">risks. It is notable that the EA only had knowledge of carbon 2012</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/unregulated-disposal-of-radioactive.html" target="_blank">Unregulated disposal of radioactive waste at Chatham</a></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" We have recently (in 2012) been made aware of the presence of Carbon 14 and earlier this month </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(August)"</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The MOD knew about the Carbon 14 in 2000</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>14 August the MOD was<a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/chatham_carbon_14#incoming-427365" target="_blank"> asked</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>" Dear Ministry of Defence, </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I note in a recent answer to an FOI MOD have stated that a maximum </i></span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of 0.95 GBq of Carbon-14 was buried by the MOD at Chatham. </i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Could you please provide me with details of the calculations and </i></span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">assumptions used to arrive a this figure and also information about </i><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the statistical uncertainty of the figure. </i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Could you provide me with information about the updated risk </i></span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">assessment for the burial site to take account of Carbon 14. </i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Could you provide information why Carbon 14 has not been included </i></span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in the environmental survey reports. </i><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Also whether or not the MOD has now informed the Environment Agency </i></span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">that Carbon 14 was also disposed by burial at Chatham when the </i><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">original agreement from the then HMIP was for Cobalt 60. </i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Could you tell me if the MOD has provided any information about the </i></span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">radioactive waste burial site to the developers of the adjacent </i><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">land. If so what information has been provided."</i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/chatham_carbon_14#incoming-427365" target="_blank">latest reply</a> from the MOD 9 September</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"Your request is being dealt with under the terms of the Environmental Information </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Regulations (EIR) 2004. I can confirm that the Ministry of Defence does hold information </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>within the scope of your request. The time limit for this request, however, needs to be </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>extended from the initial 20 working days. Under the EIR, a public authority may extend </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>this period if it reasonably believes that the complexity and volume of the information </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>requested means that it is impracticable either to comply with the request within the earlier </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>period or to make a decision to refuse to do so. In this case, I am writing to inform you, that </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>we must extend the time limit for responding by a further 20 working days. I will write to </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>you again no later than 7 October with a substantive response."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This calls into question the information provided by the EA because the MOD has provided no </span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">information on the "details of the calculations and assumptions used to arrive a this figure and </span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">also information about the statistical uncertainty of the figure"</span>Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-45309029395270838062013-08-16T20:05:00.000+01:002013-08-17T10:42:57.672+01:00Unregulated disposal of radioactive waste at Chatham<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWLp0-LStcduJFf0pdxtE7HHsKYQufmgsUmVb1By6_oLiTXiXXlq6lSzCn5q7B_5aH9wt69ieHOsiW9229BLB5EEYuMuHrLB04DCglTo6Lxz_15wU30RrsQGn1mXj-panl7dT9xGGlHQ/s1600/ZZ_1156594846_history04_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWLp0-LStcduJFf0pdxtE7HHsKYQufmgsUmVb1By6_oLiTXiXXlq6lSzCn5q7B_5aH9wt69ieHOsiW9229BLB5EEYuMuHrLB04DCglTo6Lxz_15wU30RrsQGn1mXj-panl7dT9xGGlHQ/s400/ZZ_1156594846_history04_large.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The MOD disposed of <a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/chatham-urban-nuclear-waste-dump-and.html" target="_blank">radioactive waste by burial at Chatham</a> in Kent. Its notable that this disposal </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">was not subject to regulatory/statutory control as the Radioactive Substances Act has been dis-</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">applied to the Ministry of Defence (MOD). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The waste was buried with the tacit approval of the Regulator under a "gentleman's agreement" (ref1) </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and on the assumption that only small quantities of short lived ( 5.26 years ) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobalt-60" target="_blank">Cobalt 60</a> were present </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in the waste. Once sufficient time (~25 years) had passed for the Cobalt 60 to decay there could be </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">unrestricted use of the burial site</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The MOD has recently <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/163548/response/414560/attach/html/3/20130731%20RFI%2004%2006%202013%20115119%20002%20Final%20Response%20Alan%20Chatham.pdf.html" target="_blank">confirmed the presence</a> of 0.95GBq of long lived Carbon14 in the waste. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because of the very long half life of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon-14" target="_blank">Carbon 14</a> (5,730 years) the burial site may have to remain in </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">perpetuity for future generations to maintain and care for.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Has the MOD informed the <a href="http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/" target="_blank">Environment Agency</a> (EA) of this new information? If so what action is </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the EA taking to ensure the MOD provide updated risk assessment and ensuring that the burial site </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">meets Regulatory standards. I feel that this is an important issue , in that unlike other radioactive </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">waste disposal sites, this site is in an urban area about to undergo redevelopment.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Its concerning that the MOD has previously said</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>“The risk assessment for the disposal of radioactive waste by burial Chatham - It has<a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/liability-for-contamination-information.html" target="_blank"> not been </a></i></span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/liability-for-contamination-information.html" target="_blank">possible to locate this information,</a> it would have predated the approvals granted by the </i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Department of the Environment in 1980 and has not been located in any of the files recovered”.</i> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is clear from an <a href="http://web.ornl.gov/info/reports/1977/3445605743782.pdf" target="_blank">ORNL </a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://web.ornl.gov/info/reports/1977/3445605743782.pdf" target="_blank">1977</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">report that Carbon 14 was a significant <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activation_product" target="_blank">activation product</a> in pressurised water reactors (PWR), <b>yet the MOD only discovered that Carbon 14 was an issue in PWR waste streams in 2000.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the response to a<a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/163548/response/414560/attach/html/3/20130731%20RFI%2004%2006%202013%20115119%20002%20Final%20Response%20Alan%20Chatham.pdf.html" target="_blank"> FO</a>I MOD said</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"Our records show that work was conducted in 2000 to determine the quantities of Carbon-</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>14 transferred to the British Nuclear Fuels Limited site near Drigg, Cumbria. This work </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>considered the total predicted production of Carbon-14 from the Naval Nuclear Propulsion </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Programme.</i>"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The burial site at Chatham closed in the early 1980s containing waste from the early years of the nuclear propulsion programme, the figures that MOD have calculated for Carbon 14 are based on measurements taken in waste produced in the late 1990s. It is not clear if the figures have taken account of changes in reactor chemistry between the 1970/60s and the 1990s. I suspect the early submarines may been more "dirty" in terms of activation products (such as Carbon 14, Colbalt 60, Tritium etc) than later submarines. If this is the case then the <b>MOD may have significantly underestimated the amount of Carbon 14</b> in the waste buried at Chatham.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is also clear from the MOD response to a<a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/163548/response/414560/attach/html/3/20130731%20RFI%2004%2006%202013%20115119%20002%20Final%20Response%20Alan%20Chatham.pdf.html" target="_blank"> FOI request</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"Our records show that six monthly routine radiological monitoring is carried out at the </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>disposal site within the wooded area adjacent to Pier Road, Chatham. This schedule was </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>agreed with the then regulator, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Pollution, (now part of the </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Environment Agency) in 1996. This monitoring comprises groundwater sampling and the </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>measurement of surface gamma dose rates in the area.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>There is currently no specific Carbon-14 monitoring undertaken of the waste at Chatham</b>."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is despite knowing in 2000 that Carbon 14 is present in the buried waste.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The way ahead and the future</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are <a href="http://www.chathamwaters.co.uk/" target="_blank">advanced plans</a> to redevelop the industrial waterside area adjacent to the site where </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the MOD buried radioactive waste. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The MOD needs to demonstrate that there has been no dispersion of radioactive waste including carbon 14 from the burial site into the adjacent land. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There needs to be consideration about the effect of building and excavation work may have on </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">integrity of the radioactive waste burial site and the risks to people during </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">construction and when the development is completed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fact that MOD has retained title to the land where the radioactive waste has been buried </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">suggests the risks are not insignificant. The best way forward may well be for the waste to be </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">removed and the site cleaned up, this having been done, there could then be un-restricted use of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the site and any blight associated with the burial of the radioactive waste lifted. It would also </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">demonstrate the MODs commitment to clean up the legacy of past military activities. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Reference </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1: A <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentlemen's_agreement" target="_blank">gentlemen's agreemen</a>t is an informal agreement between two or more parties. It is typically oral, though it may be written, or simply </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">understood as part of an unspoken agreement by convention or through mutually beneficial etiquette. The essence of a gentlemen's agreement </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">is that it relies upon the honor of the parties for its fulfillment, rather than being in any way enforceable. It is, therefore, distinct from a legal </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">agreement or contract, which can be enforced if necessary.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/chatham_carbon_14#incoming-420683" target="_blank">FOI requesting further information about Carbon 14 at Chatham</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/lqa_chatham_dockyard#incoming-420682" target="_blank">FOI requesting Land Quality Assessment</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.thedockyard.co.uk/documents/1/ZZ_1163759628_Nuclear%20Submarine%20Refitting%201970-1983%20Continued.pdf" target="_blank">History of Nuclear Submarine Refitting 1970-1983</a></span>Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-76775896980488258972013-07-18T12:44:00.000+01:002013-07-18T18:52:37.152+01:00Dalgety Bay - adjournment debate <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCkZgTIRf8egPR64maWXTET48WcpDTxpEYfo8wviowJZrbQP1IaT3teCJBJbdaEspVkHKydmeTtcExzu5Ui3d10Cw1QXGhEbRfv5wqqS8Mq-GcyI7D74RhQEOuw6oOqh_GNi3ZZ0eEjY/s1600/gb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCkZgTIRf8egPR64maWXTET48WcpDTxpEYfo8wviowJZrbQP1IaT3teCJBJbdaEspVkHKydmeTtcExzu5Ui3d10Cw1QXGhEbRfv5wqqS8Mq-GcyI7D74RhQEOuw6oOqh_GNi3ZZ0eEjY/s400/gb.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is clear from the <a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm130709/debtext/130709-0005.htm#130709102000003" target="_blank">adjournment debate</a> just how desperate the MOD is to avoid liability, the MOD is quite aware of the reputational damage the Dalgety Bay contamination issue has and continues to cause. In particular the knock on effect in Scotland in the context of the referendum on independence and MOD nuclear programmes in Scotland. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The adjournment debate achieved little apart from even more polarising views on liability etc. The MOD attempted to discredit <a href="http://www.sepa.org.uk/" target="_blank">SEPA</a> and question their competence as the Scottish Environmental Regulator. The Minister Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Dr Andrew Murrison) approach to the debate was patronising and overbearing and yet again shows the MOD policy is to fight liability every inch of the way even in the face of overwhelming evidence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The MODs'</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> offer of help whilst offering no admission of liability is a cynical ploy to avoid court action that could set a legal precedent should the MOD be found liable in the courts for the pollution it caused by historic activities involving Radium. Such a precedent would have implications for hundreds of sites across the UK such as <a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/wigtown-bay-another-dalgety-bay.html" target="_blank">Wig Bay Loch Rayan</a> where there is the potential for Radium contamination and the risk of harm to both man and the environment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Following the debate SEPA issued a <a href="http://www.sepa.org.uk/about_us/news/2013/sepa_statement_regarding_dalge.aspx" target="_blank">statement</a> where Calum MacDonald, SEPA Executive Director, said: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>“I was surprised and disappointed by Dr Murrison’s comment that SEPA has been less than helpful." </i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I believe its SEPA role to Regulate without fear or favour. In the past I had professional dealings with SEPA I found them to be competent, experienced, constructive and willing to listen . </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's also clear from the debate that SEPA appears to have better records of the MODs' historic activities involving Radium than the MOD itself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr Murrison " I must say that we have already looked for some of the documents cited by SEPA but cannot find them. "</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SEPA has shown extreme patience with the MOD I believe the time has now come for SEPA to take legal action against the MOD to resolve the issue without further delay</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=13470&st=21:51:40" target="_blank">Video of the debate </a> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>starts at 21:55</b></span></span><br />
<script src="http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Embed/js.ashx?13470 460x322"></script>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.comare.org.uk/" target="_blank">COMARE</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SEPA attended a meeting of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) today, in which the Committee made five recommendations about the radioactive contamination at Dalgety Bay.:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The recommendations were:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. The Committee concluded that on the basis of available data to COMARE, from SEPA and Public Health England, on potential Committed Effective Doses, there are sources of potential harm to the public (at Dalgety Bay).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. The continuing programme of demarcation and monitoring was not a long term viable solution.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Remediation should start as quickly as possible,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Monitoring & removal of radioactive sources should continue at a frequency and area determined by the Regulator, but this should be to at least current levels,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. A list should be formed of all Radium-226 sites across the UK.</span><br />
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Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-3284296383504789362013-07-04T10:27:00.000+01:002013-07-04T15:30:52.118+01:00Liability for Historic Contamination - Information Management<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4WNE2L4dSDk_f2ZOFYEly7dsCmZsDTF0f78z1OOhIy386_EgNJ0_RszeDRH9GAIl5gOfg8IwIIapvt-hmF9fOE-BXrfS9XYJoFytWhlC5e53bINoP7d-lYevfG-WaVtt9Pv6bDFS6ng/s468/ostrich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4WNE2L4dSDk_f2ZOFYEly7dsCmZsDTF0f78z1OOhIy386_EgNJ0_RszeDRH9GAIl5gOfg8IwIIapvt-hmF9fOE-BXrfS9XYJoFytWhlC5e53bINoP7d-lYevfG-WaVtt9Pv6bDFS6ng/s320/ostrich.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is clear that the MOD is doing all it can to deny all liability for sites that it has sold off or returned to owners prior to the beginning of the Land Quality Assessment (LQA) programme that began in the late 1980s.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The prime example among hundreds of sites is Dalgety Bay where extensive radioactive contamination has been found on the beach and foreshore. This was due in all probability to work involving radium used to illuminate dials etc on aircraft.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another site which has many of the same indicators for radium contamination as<a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/dalgety-bay-saga-drags-on-and-on.html" target="_blank"> Dalgety Bay </a>is <a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/wigtown-bay-another-dalgety-bay.html" target="_blank">Wig Bay</a> in south west Scotland. At <a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/radium-contamination-confirmed-at-pulham.html" target="_blank">RAF Pulham</a> the presence radium contamination has been confirmed by the local council. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 2000 the Governments independent advisory committee on the management of radioactive waste gave <a href="http://collections.europarchive.org/tna/20080727101330/http:/defra.gov.uk/rwmac/reports/mod/index.htm" target="_blank">advice to MOD ministers</a> on contaminated land which included the need to preserve historic information and enabling access to that information.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>"<i>Discussion and findings</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>6.1 It is clear that many MoD sites will have been contaminated with radioactivity as a result of past defence activities. RWMAC therefore welcomes the LQA programme that has been set up by MoD to identify contamination, including that arising from radioactivity, within the current defence estate.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>6.2 However, the search for radioactively contaminated sites as part of this programme has been substantially hampered by the <span style="color: blue;">lack of historical records. While the close-knit military community seems to exhibit a good "folk-memory" of likely sources of contamination, it is unlikely that this can compensate for the lack of written records. Even on the sites where radioactive contamination is known to have occurred, there is a need to identify precisely where it is located across what is usually an extensive area.</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>6.3 The current LQA programme focuses on the current defence estate, notably the sites which MoD wishes to divest. H<span style="color: blue;">owever, there have been disposals of substantial numbers of sites in the past of which MoD has stated it has no comprehensive record. In RWMAC's view, it is nearly inevitable that some of this former MoD land will have been contaminated by luminising activities and/or luminised materials. None of the key individuals spoken to during the course of RWMAC's work questioned this view.</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>6.4 The most likely form of contamination that might have existed on such sites is buried radium-226 either as materials used to produce luminising paint or the paint itself, or products that have been painted. The latter could have been burned before burial. MoD has stated to RWMAC that these disposal practices are unlikely to have caused a wider problem because radium is insoluble and therefore essentially immobile. However, when questioned by RWMAC, the Ministry had relatively little evidence (other than a few early laboratory solubility tests) to substantiate this view. RWMAC believes that significantly more work is needed before MoD's assertion that buried radium is immobile in all soil and groundwater conditions can be reliably proven.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>6.5 RWMAC was not made aware of any MoD exercise to identify land disposed of before the LQA system was introduced. Because of the possibility of contamination on at least some of these sites, RWMAC believes that MoD should consider the feasibility of compiling a list of historical disposals, with consideration being given to earmarking those with the highest probability of radioactive contamination."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the context of alienated, sites It clear that the advice on the preservation of records and the need to retain knowledge of subject matter experts and those with personal experience at sites has been ignored. In fact it appears there has been postive action taken to place key information in the national archive. This effectively removes the information from the FOI regime since MOD can say they no longer hold the information. Regarding information the MOD may still hold either in office or archived file lists are needed to access this information but it is clear from the MOD response to a FOI </span><br />
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<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
<a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/file-lists-key-to-accessing-corporate.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">File lists - key to accessing corporate memory</span></a></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><i>However, we have to advise you that we will not be able to answer your request without exceeding the appropriate limit. This is because to the only official record of registered files is the MOD Form 262 of which there is one form for each file and part of a file opened. There are many thousands of MOD Form 262s which make up the official file record for D Def H&S and D SEF Pol and to locate, retrieve, and extract information in scope of your request would involve some 7 man days of effort"</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">The answer implies that there are significant difficulties in locating files in order to inform policy and questions about issues, some only a few years old. D Sef pol, D Def H&S and DS&C were in turn all Directorates of MOD Head Office concerned with health, safety and the environment. The difficulty in accessing files means that it is very difficult to look back and learn from previous accidents and polluting events. So, such unfortunate incidents are likely to reoccur</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">MOD as modern forward looking organisation has moved away from paper based document system to an electronic documents records management system (EDRM)</span></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.imat.cimtech.co.uk/Pages/IM@T_Online/2007/February/0207_CaseStudy_02.htm" target="_blank">This report explains the advantages of the EDRM system</a></span></span></span><br />
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<i><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20.15625px;">"Easy location and retrieval of information</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20.15625px;"> The ability to find information from document libraries, as well as many other portals and intranets, has fundamentally changed the way the MoD works</span></i><br />
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<i><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20.15625px;">Questions answered </strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20.15625px;">The infrastructure facilitated the development of a 'Freedom of Information' toolkit, which enables the MoD to fulfill its commitments to Central Government and the public in this area.</span></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20.15625px;"><i>The new system enables the MOD to meet UK Government requirements for compliance and records management.</i>"</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>From difficulties the MOD has in providing answers to FOIs it appears the EDRM does not include references to old paper files held in archive and is essentially based around information to hand at the date the EDRM was implemented.</b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>So far as historic information is concerned it appears that the MOD suffered a "corporate lobotomy" .</b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">It is also now clear that the expensive subject matter experts who held significant parts of the corporate memory in their heads have now left the MOD through retirement or staff cuts<b>.</b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The report</span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I<a href="http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/mod-ima-report-final.pdf" target="_blank">nformation Management Assessment </a></span></span><a href="http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/mod-ima-report-final.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Ministry of Defence </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">March 2009</span></a> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">stated that</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">"Information is recognised as the key asset for running the business of The Ministry </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">of Defence and is used to support effective data and information sharing and </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">knowledge creation".</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">The examples high-lighted above and else where in<a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/mod-radiation-protection-and.html" target="_blank"> this blog</a> suggest there are significant failures in meeting recommendations in the report </span></span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I<a href="http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/mod-ima-report-final.pdf" target="_blank">nformation Management Assessment </a></span></span><a href="http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/mod-ima-report-final.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Ministry of Defence </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">March 2009</span></a><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 18px;">The potential liability</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">This report p</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">rovides an excellent overview of the scale of the problem for both the existing and alienated estate<b> :-</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://a0768b4a8a31e106d8b0-50dc802554eb38a24458b98ff72d550b.r19.cf3.rackcdn.com/sp5-042-tr-1-e-e.pdf" target="_blank">Land Contamination: </a></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://a0768b4a8a31e106d8b0-50dc802554eb38a24458b98ff72d550b.r19.cf3.rackcdn.com/sp5-042-tr-1-e-e.pdf" target="_blank">Technical Guidance on Special Sites</a>: </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">MoD Land </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">R&D Technical Report P5-042/TR/01 </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Dr G Bulloch, J E Steeds, K Green, M G Sainsbury, </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">J S Brockwell, N J Slade </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Research Contractor: </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">WS Atkins Consultants Limited </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">In association with: </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">BAE SYSTEMS Environmental Services.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>Conclusion</b></span></h3>
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<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">The MOD liabilities for the alienated estate may run to hundreds of millions pounds of taxpayers money.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">MOD has failed to preserve records that would help identify these liabilities.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">There may have been and may continue to be a conscious policy within the MOD of doing everything possible</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> to reject claims relating to the alienated estate and positively obstruct such claims by neglecting to preserve evidence of polluting processes etc; despite advice to preserve such information.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">The MOD policy is to challenge independent assessments of the risks from pollutants and/or MODs' liability, even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Communities and the environment continue to suffer blight because of the MODs', failure to take responsibility for the legacy of past activities and the consequent pollution the MOD caused.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">MOD is behaving like an ostrich and just hoping the issue will go away</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-152600990780742392013-07-01T08:36:00.000+01:002013-07-03T15:05:05.233+01:00Wig Bay another Dalgety Bay?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SEPA has identified the Ministry of Defence as the "appropriate person" responsible for the radioactive contamination of the beach and foreshore at Dalgety Bay in Fife.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However it is clear from press reports that the MOD still continues to resist admitting any degree of liability by challenging SEPAs' competence and evidence</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"The MoD said it would consider the report findings in detail and respond to SEPA in due course. However, it said it had concerns over the "adequacy and validity" of both SEPA's risk assessment and its approach to the Appropriate Persons Report. A spokesman said: "We will seek an early meeting with SEPA at senior official level to raise these concerns and discuss the way forward." </i><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-23098001" target="_blank"> Full report</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I feel that MOD in denying liability, that this has resulted in a long drawn out expensive process at the end of which the MOD will be found to be liable and suffer significant reputational damage.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I suspect Defence Estates fear that admitting <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/contaminated_land_liability" target="_blank">liability</a> in the case of Dalgety Bay would set a precedent for the hundreds of other sites where there is the potential for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radium" target="_blank">radium</a> and other contamination; the liability running into many millions of pounds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An example of similar coastal site in Scotland site potentially contaminated with Radium, is the former seaplane base at Wig Bay Loch Ryan. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBLPPOFPXZSQWGuk2I2ebrSE7hg3ExitYLWJZohvAkl5Ru_zAjqJV6kl4UPcfV7pNMrHFvRgM9bgL7Eyesv9tw8GR2b_hIZHAMjBjhJGjEpLlr87vsfV1-jHXXLDU8NZvSlZBx9EWs0Q/s924/Wig+Bay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBLPPOFPXZSQWGuk2I2ebrSE7hg3ExitYLWJZohvAkl5Ru_zAjqJV6kl4UPcfV7pNMrHFvRgM9bgL7Eyesv9tw8GR2b_hIZHAMjBjhJGjEpLlr87vsfV1-jHXXLDU8NZvSlZBx9EWs0Q/s320/Wig+Bay.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland <a href="http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/91781/details/stranraer+raf+wig+bay+seaplane+base/" target="_blank"> shows that the former seaplane base at Wig Bay</a> was used to "<i>break up aircraft</i>" which in all probability contained significant quantities of radium luminised instruments etc.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google earth shows that some of the old hard standing is now used as a car park complete with interpretation boards and open access to the beach and foreshore.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In response to a <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/118056/response/288903/attach/html/4/20120614Dawson.doc.html" target="_blank">FOI request</a> the MOD said:-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"You requested information about what subsequently happened to the radium dials that were in the flying boats which were scrapped and dismantled at Wig Bay in Loch Ryan SW Scotland.</i></span><br />
<i><br /></i>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A search of the MOD archives has not identified any material on this subject. Any documentation that has survived will be held by the <a href="https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/default.htm" target="_blank">National Archives at Kew</a>."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">reference 1</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvgc0jiXZCS4G_rtCisyLS5frdXIWN8E4QLnMYpufSocHPHomkPkdlOGbX8KeiRFW3utM-QJb00q99WA3jzqpHCS9wpw4w5WWhpcfQX2z4sNE-h24kbrToP9bz77c6B_RyP6Gvlm3L9D0/s800/seaplane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvgc0jiXZCS4G_rtCisyLS5frdXIWN8E4QLnMYpufSocHPHomkPkdlOGbX8KeiRFW3utM-QJb00q99WA3jzqpHCS9wpw4w5WWhpcfQX2z4sNE-h24kbrToP9bz77c6B_RyP6Gvlm3L9D0/s400/seaplane.jpg" width="390" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Image showing numerous aircraft at Wig Bay</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEKV5krY-VFt7g-B5ZqvopTzlOptIKTzSt4QdlQTO4xrepn8RQyNgLJX0JE90Rz8bsQqERNScTM6-U2BBOAelDgjpPBI4ZVk9vPZJWUTY7GCmSZvEbyzIVapfCNyx0TG4IRCHM0OpppA/s1568/wigsv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEKV5krY-VFt7g-B5ZqvopTzlOptIKTzSt4QdlQTO4xrepn8RQyNgLJX0JE90Rz8bsQqERNScTM6-U2BBOAelDgjpPBI4ZVk9vPZJWUTY7GCmSZvEbyzIVapfCNyx0TG4IRCHM0OpppA/s400/wigsv.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of the site today from the main road showing car park etc</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/radium-contamination-confirmed-at-pulham.html" target="_blank">RAF Pulham</a> </b></span> where the MOD held no records about radium contamination, but where radium contamination has been confirmed. The MOD has rejected responsibility in this case by saying</span><br />
<i style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></i>
<i style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">"I am advised that former sites such as this fall within the statutory responsibility of the Local authority to inspect the land in its area and identify any contaminated land. It is therefore suggested that any evidence of contamination you have should be brought to the attention of the Local Authority “</i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This effectively shuffles off any responsibility to identify contaminated land that the MOD once owned or controlled to the Local Authorities.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Local Authorities are very unlikely to hold any information about these sites and therefore are unlikely to have the means to identify whether or not such land is contaminated.<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/bbc-news-report-on-radium-contamination.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">RAF Kinloss</span></b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>provides yet another example</a> of historic radium contamination and the need to ensure records are kept</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Reference 1</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">"The Military Airfields of Britain, Scotland and Northern Island". Ken Delve, Crowood Press Ltd 2010, page 298 Wig Bay Stranraer</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">ISBN 978-1-84797-027-5</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bL8LrBF_CbJK8N_V85jMwSoXSp2oV6x72kwRXlfIzJhMGHzd9zglFvMTxc1Q3o8-05HKuvRFIRC4oYGtWFtlUfZECIhtR0LnXZnjUz_bwVOHG66wkheSIIUik-Z-6TUgd55iuXirXfQ/s1568/wig+google.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bL8LrBF_CbJK8N_V85jMwSoXSp2oV6x72kwRXlfIzJhMGHzd9zglFvMTxc1Q3o8-05HKuvRFIRC4oYGtWFtlUfZECIhtR0LnXZnjUz_bwVOHG66wkheSIIUik-Z-6TUgd55iuXirXfQ/s640/wig+google.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ariel View</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRP01ZuKURCJj3NJ8hfXwxKL9OUQNX54txh4vU-xwiuZHNFUMH0S3_IUCb8GrYYAJAX1tzmfLnazkfqeUQhUbWHa2pORuAIkcWo334egEGhbVs3PCmsWxDImVYBhcNGe4Dyp3p0AqdYI/s1600/stmary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRP01ZuKURCJj3NJ8hfXwxKL9OUQNX54txh4vU-xwiuZHNFUMH0S3_IUCb8GrYYAJAX1tzmfLnazkfqeUQhUbWHa2pORuAIkcWo334egEGhbVs3PCmsWxDImVYBhcNGe4Dyp3p0AqdYI/s640/stmary.jpg" width="373" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Overlay showing taxiways etc</span></td></tr>
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Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-70005967473077285632013-04-16T09:52:00.000+01:002013-04-16T19:46:12.991+01:00Contamination of fish catches in the Irish sea by Depleted Uranium Penetrators<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rI97wryEY6PoYfyKsYTKzdxhe9rj0EgPEwSi_6xFHm5VC0yXxd3dzEPvfYUkt9QU3UF_98eQuEHaxlq0zaqV-rr4b99VajB2W3l15l4TwOMvhITZ7tO6UXjR1rTJeirWSIq2StosKKM/s1600/228609359_94f32b7b6b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rI97wryEY6PoYfyKsYTKzdxhe9rj0EgPEwSi_6xFHm5VC0yXxd3dzEPvfYUkt9QU3UF_98eQuEHaxlq0zaqV-rr4b99VajB2W3l15l4TwOMvhITZ7tO6UXjR1rTJeirWSIq2StosKKM/s320/228609359_94f32b7b6b.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Information has been released by the MOD in response to a <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/object_recovered_by_fishermen#incoming-369128" target="_blank">FOI request</a> asking</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"Could you please provide me with Information including reports etc</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>about the object recovered by fishermen mentioned at para 3, D of</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>the <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/144834/response/356826/attach/4/19911019%20Minutes%2020th%20DUFERC.pdf" target="_blank">DUFERC minutes dated 19/10 1999</a>"</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In response to this, the MOD directed me to a <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/depleted_uranium_penetrator" target="_blank">reply they made to a similar request</a></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recovered DU penetrator</span></td></tr>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The information the MOD provided only relates to the physical characteristics of the recovered round. Of particular note is the reference made to "<a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/111872/response/276509/attach/5/Thompson%20723%2012%20Penetrator.pdf" target="_blank">black and friable DU oxide</a>" indicating a significant risk of loose DU contamination.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
This DU penetrator was one of over 6000 lying on the seabed of the Irish Sea</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Extract from Hansard <a href="http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2001/feb/07/depleted-uranium-shelling" target="_blank">HC Deb 07 February 2001 vol 362 cc1038-47</a></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<i>"Some 6,907 shells have been fired into the Solway, and, even allowing for misfires and malfunctions, more than 6,000 are presumably now lying in the Solway. Many of us instinctively object to the Solway being used as a radioactive munitions dumping ground by the MOD."</i></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The MOD have not provided any information about the potential doses and intakes of DU to the fishermen who recovered the round or any information about the extent to which the fish etc caught alongside the round were contaminated with DU or whether or not the catch was sold for human consumption.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The recovery of this DU penetrator begs the question how many other similar situations may have occurred, but where the presence of a DU penetrator in the catch was not recognised or reported.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The MOD in not providing information about dose estimates from the recovered DU penetrator seem to have been negligent in their duty of care to the fishermen who recovered the DU penetrator and the public who may have consumed the fish etc caught alongside the DU penetrator. </span>Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-44515617273478324912013-03-12T16:19:00.001+00:002013-03-13T07:44:50.060+00:00Chemical weapon legacy - Cover-up ??<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQ8CUIK5xMQWeLNFPeO-AuxtsFoOjgvmTULiOpBmdvdpGEn42EH67-5Loz6vLHe8Q1YHW8H5DPXgETX2odnrh1qXUzG1bz0B1HBO9iHsWCvpjNs_8zS9bwqgfzkNANfBG_jQ5N4OLTPg/s1600/skull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQ8CUIK5xMQWeLNFPeO-AuxtsFoOjgvmTULiOpBmdvdpGEn42EH67-5Loz6vLHe8Q1YHW8H5DPXgETX2odnrh1qXUzG1bz0B1HBO9iHsWCvpjNs_8zS9bwqgfzkNANfBG_jQ5N4OLTPg/s1600/skull.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Defence activities since the first world war have left a legacy of land contaminated with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_weapon" target="_blank">chemical weapons</a>. This extract from DIOlogue the house magazine of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation Issue 2 October 2011. Some four years ago, the MOD set up Project Cleansweep to confirm that there was no risk to people or the environment from the UK’s historic programme for manufacturing, storing, handling or disposing of chemical warfare agents (CWAs).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8SAal82cFwoY2NXRU0xd0s5cHM/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Extract from 2nd issue of the DIOlogue newsletter published October 2011</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The article mentioned that the project Cleansweep report was due to be published in the Autumn of 2011. A FOI request made in 2012 asking for the report.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/project_cleransweep_report" target="_blank">FOI Request 18 September 2012</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Dear Ministry of Defence,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>In the 2nnd issue of the DIOlogue newsletter published October 2011 MOD regarding project "Cleansweep" said</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"A comprehensive Project Completion report is due for publication this autumn, with both the Health Protection Agency and Environment Agency supportive of its findings. A copy will be placed in the Library of the House of Commons as well as being sent to MPs in whose constituencies these sites are located, local authorities and environment agencies. “Cleansweep has been a resounding success, both technically and in terms of partnership working,”</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Could you please provide me with the following information</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>1: A copy of the "Cleansweep" report referred to the DIOlogue newsletter</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>if the report has not yet been published</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>2: when will the report will be published</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>3: information about the delay in publication</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>16 October 2012 MOD Replied</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"You asked for a copy of the Project Cleansweep Completion Report or if the report has not yet been published details of when it will be and information on the delay in publication.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I can confirm that the Report has not yet been published, as two additional ground water monitoring reports on sites, that are included in the Cleansweep Completion Report are still in the process of being produced. While I am unable to say exactly when the rpeort Completion report will be published, I would be happy to provide you with a hard copy when it is,"</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is now 2013 and as far as I am aware the Project Completion report has yet to be published.. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When asked through a FOI about specific sites and the potential for chemical contamination, the MOD are using the delay in publishing the Project Cleansweep report as an excuse for <b>not providing information</b> about the sites detailed in the FOI request. The also feel that it is not in the public interest to publish information about these sites.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is notable that the <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/3391/contents/made" target="_blank">Environmental Information Regulations (2004)</a> require the proactive publication of environmental information</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Dissemination of environmental information the legal duty</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <i>4.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3), a public authority shall in respect of environmental information that it holds— </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>(a)progressively make the information available to the public by electronic means which are easily accessible; and</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>(b)take reasonable steps to organize the information relevant to its functions with a view to the active and systematic dissemination to the public of the information.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> (2) For the purposes of paragraph (1) the use of electronic means to make information available or to organize information shall not be required in relation to information collected before 1st January 2005 in non-electronic form</i>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/117634/response/291422/attach/html/3/20120626%20Final%20Reply%20U.pdf.html" target="_blank">FOI request for Information</a>: Chemical Weapon Contamination</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Thank you for your request of 27 May 2012, this was passed to the Defence Infrastructure </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Organisation (DIO) – the Ministry of Defence (MOD) organisation with responsibility for the </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>defence estate – and has been dealt with under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations (2004). </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>You requested (verbatim) the following information:- </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>a: Land quality assessments </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>b: CW Clearance certificates </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>c: Results of environmental surveys </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>d: whether or not the site is owned by the MOD </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>e: any other information about chemical weapon contamination at these sites; </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>at the following sites :- </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> 1 (FFD) <a href="http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/l/little_heath_forward_filling_depot/index.shtml" target="_blank">Little Heath Suffolk</a> Under the </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>control of 94 Maintenance Unit </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>FFD 2 <a href="http://wikimapia.org/13535047/Melchbourne-Riseley-FFD-2-Forward-Filling-Depot" target="_blank">Melchbourne/Riseley Bedfordshire</a> American FFD - Station 572 </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.neolithicsea.co.uk/rafnortondisney/index.html" target="_blank">FFD 3 Norton Disney Lincolnshire</a> Under the control of 93 </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Maintenance Unit </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/l/lords_bridge_ffd/index.shtml" target="_blank">FFD 4 Lords Bridge Cambridgeshire</a> Under the control of 95 </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Maintenance Unit </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/military-sites/63440-escrick-forward-filling-depot.html" target="_blank">FFD 5 Escrick Yorkshire</a> Under the control of 80 Sub Maintenance </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Unit </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Secrets/RAFMacmerry" target="_blank">RAF Macmerry</a> located about 9 miles east of Edinburgh. In the past, </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>the airfield may have been referred to as Tranent, or Penston </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>While I can confirm that the MOD holds information within the scope of your enquiry, it is likely that some or all of it falls within the scope of a qualified exemption of the FOI Act. The relevant exemption is Section 22 (Information Intended for <b>Future Publication) which provides that information is exempt from disclosure </b>if the public authority holding it or another person intends to publish it at some future date, whether determined or not, and in all the circumstances it is reasonable to withhold the information prior to publication. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The exemption is subject to the balance of the public interest. By virtue of section 10(3) of the Act, where public authorities have to consider the balance of the <b>public interest</b>, they do not have to comply with the request until such time as is reasonable in the circumstances. The MOD has not yet reached a decision and I will not be able to fully respond to your request within 20 working days because of the need to carefully consider the issues involved. Our decision will be made as soon as possible and I will inform you immediately thereafter.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conclusion</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MOD has failed to provide the information on the specific sites, failed to publish the project cleansweep report and failed to disseminate environmental information as required by the Environmental Information Regulations (2004). The MOD is using its failure to publish the Cleansweep report as a reason to withhold information</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are the MOD afraid of publishing the information because there are significant problems with chemical weapon contamination which they wish to remain hidden??</span><br />
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<br /></div>
Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-35770768843180681572013-03-12T10:58:00.001+00:002013-03-12T10:58:08.574+00:00File lists - key to accessing corporate memory<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtY4xck0KNldJLs9mdpvm_O0Tu-CpLkgzqmc3Mv8kxzz6VoPKyW-neGByk_5g6i80K9HBLdhbxwnwVgUsbWhVX2Upv8-xQN3OsAx9wWPhCYI_8SvkgfVOTWlMl_-Z6CmpBo-auQ-kZHxI/s1600/amnesia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtY4xck0KNldJLs9mdpvm_O0Tu-CpLkgzqmc3Mv8kxzz6VoPKyW-neGByk_5g6i80K9HBLdhbxwnwVgUsbWhVX2Upv8-xQN3OsAx9wWPhCYI_8SvkgfVOTWlMl_-Z6CmpBo-auQ-kZHxI/s1600/amnesia.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FOI dated 19th February 2013</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Please could you provide me with the following registry file lists used by :- </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> D Sef Pol </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> D Def H&S </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DS&C”</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/150403/response/368345/attach/3/20130311%20FOI%2020%2002%202013%20105648%20002%20DAWSON%20Filelists.pdf" target="_blank">Answer 12 March 2013</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"However, we have to advise you that we will not be able to answer your request without exceeding the appropriate limit. This is because to the only official record of registered files is the MOD Form 262 of which there is one form for each file and part of a file opened. There are many thousands of MOD Form 262s which make up the official file record for D Def H&S and D SEF Pol and to locate, retrieve, and extract information in scope of your request would involve some 7 man days of effort"</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The answer implies that there are significant difficulties in locating files in order to inform policy and questions about issues, some only a few years old. D Sef pol, D Def H&S and DS&C were in turn all Directorates of MOD Head Office concerned with health, safety and the environment. The difficulty in accessing files means that it is very difficult to look back and learn from previous accidents and polluting events. So, such unfortunate incidents are likely to reoccur.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It also means that there will be problems finding and checking information used to inform the answers to Parliamentary questions, FOI requests, and to defend claims against the MOD etc. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">File lists are also required in order to access archived files, in the absence of file lists historic information is inaccessible. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The lack of file lists has led to "corporate amnesia"</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/failure-to-ensure-preservation-of.html" target="_blank">A previous post to this blog</a> also points out in the clearest terms that MOD has failed to ensure the retention of key information for the period 1975 to 1985 about the way in which radioactive waste has been managed and disposed of. It may also mean that key information about policy and standards may have been lost </span><br />
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<br /></div>
Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-72712368247062267452013-02-27T08:53:00.001+00:002013-02-27T08:53:38.751+00:00Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator's annual report 2011<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Defence Nuclear safety Regulator (DNSR) have recently published their a<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/27707/20120110DNSR_Annual_Report_2011_FinalU.pdf" target="_blank">nnual report for 2011</a> which includes a summary of nuclear and radiological safety and environmental protection performance in the Defence Nuclear Programme (DNP)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Key risks are :-</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Red Risk</b></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lack of adequate resource to deliver the defence nuclear programmes safely.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Measures already in hand may be insufficient to address the present and predicted shortage of NSQEP in the Royal Navy, among MOD civilians and in defence contractors</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Amber risk</b></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Safety Cases in the DNP are inconsistent against current good practice; integration of safety analyses for the reactor and weapon needs to be expedited</i></li>
<li><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The demonstration that the risk from DNP activities is ALARP is inconsistent and tortuous to uncover</i></li>
<li><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The number of incidents remains too high</i></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Para 7: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At least some of the Issues described further on have their roots in a general lack of resource to address the work required to conduct activities and demonstrate their safety."</span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This issue has been included as a red risk for years and it appears that no progress has been made to provide the required resources and if anything the situation is getting even worse year by year. DNSR appears powerless to ensure that Ministers and management to provide the resources necessary to safely deliver the MOD nuclear programmes. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It appears that only a serious incident would deliver an increase in resources. This is what happened after the <a href="http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1979/dec/21/atomic-weapons-research-establishment" target="_blank">Pochin enquiry in the late 1970s</a> following the discovery that 12 of those working at the Aldermarston appeared to have accumulated plutonium in their lungs in excess of the level recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. It was this that lead in a large part to the establishment of MOD professional Health Physicists as a separate grade within the MOD.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"Para15: Evidence continues to build that constraints on the DNP’s industrial funding are now affecting staffing levels in Tier 1 contractors; as a result projects run behind declared timetables and important safety submissions are delayed. The trend (of decades) to outsource work from MOD to industry when there are reductions in crown servant numbers (or the inability to recruit), may be approaching a real limit as industry is equally constrained. The limit may also result from the desire to maintain “crown control” of some activities, not least because safety legislation is applied differently (or exempted) dependant on who is conducting the work."</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Highlights the policy of “crown control” under which the MOD nuclear operations remain largely exempt from civil nuclear regulation. In the past outsourcing the work has allowed the MOD to meet staff reduction targets but it clear that the limit of this has now been reached if not exceeded.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"A number of incidents have occurred across the programme in 2011; individually they have not been of high significance or safety/environmental detriment, but taken together, they produce concern that working conditions and culture might not prevent an incident of higher significance"</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DNSR highlights a worrying trend in incidents but these may well indicate the potential for a more significant incident with wider ranging consequences and may also be indicative of a safety/management culture under stress.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is worrying that there are problems with integration of safety analyses for the reactor and weapon. This suggests a "stove-pipe" approach to safety and that there is insufficient consideration of the combined risks from all the hazards on the submarine, reactor, nuclear weapon, explosive, human factors and external hazards. The report does not provide any information about what DNSR is doing to address this important issue.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Summary</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The report clearly shows that the MOD lacks adequate resources to deliver the defence nuclear programmes safely. As far as can be seen DNSR has been ineffective in persuading management and Ministers to provide the necessary resource.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is also notable that DNSR has not issued any enforcement notices requiring the provision of the necessary resources deliver the defence nuclear programmes safely</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is also of interesting to see in DNSRs report, concerns expressed about the difficulty in establishing of DNSR’s full complement of human resources in DSEA with the potential to impact on DNSRs' ability to regulate.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The report suggests the probability of a serious incident within MOD nuclear programmes continues to increase.</span><br />
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Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-31934996331950735092013-02-17T10:57:00.000+00:002013-02-17T17:01:03.622+00:00HMS Tireless - leak in reactor compartment<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Daily Express<a href="http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/378182/Navy-sub-s-radiation-leak-scare" target="_blank"> reports</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKq7MHtqLU9twzcjyPoAa0IlnUBVZAN0tMbyiHjS8_oMUd6Hnbv_-wjO9Rs7FcdGZOLxc1j2FNLkxEn6CH-3T-Wggo2dUFOcRKT_xU5_1E9EKUXcEIbq8CTYKnZ5mLpYZ4kevryC18C4/s1600/4624179031_96a056538e_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKq7MHtqLU9twzcjyPoAa0IlnUBVZAN0tMbyiHjS8_oMUd6Hnbv_-wjO9Rs7FcdGZOLxc1j2FNLkxEn6CH-3T-Wggo2dUFOcRKT_xU5_1E9EKUXcEIbq8CTYKnZ5mLpYZ4kevryC18C4/s320/4624179031_96a056538e_z.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"Launched in 1984 “HMS Tired”, as she has been dubbed, was due to be decommissioned from the fleet this year but her service was extended for another four years due to the delay in the rollout of the new Astute class submarines</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A Royal Navy spokesman said: “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Tireless_(S88)" target="_blank">HMS Tireless</a> returned to Devonport Naval Base last week for repair following a small coolant leak that was contained within the sealed reactor compartment. There is no risk to the public, the environment or the crew.” </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whilst this may be true, the leak may be indicative of an ageing boat reaching the end of its life. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The decision to extend its service calls in to question to what extent the granting of the extension of service is at the price of an increased risk to safety.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This incident shows that the problems encountered with commissioning the Astute submarines are having a knock on effect on nuclear safety of the older submarines that were due to have been decommissioned.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This blog has already <a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/astute-problems-no-investigation-of.html" target="_blank">reported</a> the MODs failure to identify the root causes of the problems with HMS Astute. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It will interesting to see if the MOD publishes any information about the causes of the leak of coolant within the reactor compartment of HMS Tireless.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is worth considering to what extent other submarines of the same class and age as HMS Tireless might now be prone to the same sort of leak or indeed a more serious leak that might endanger the submarine.</span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It should be remembered that this is not the first time HMS Tireless has suffered collant leaks, in May 2000, Tireless developed a serious leak in the nuclear reactor primary cooling circuit. The nuclear propulsion system was shut down and using backup diesel power Tireless made way to Gibraltar. The damage was found to be more extensive than first thought, and the boat remained at Gibraltar, creating diplomatic tensions between Spain and Britain, until she left on 7 May 2001, nearly a year later following extensive repairs During that year, all Trafalgar-class submarines were inspected for similar problems</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More recent <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/378241/Radiation-leak-on-nuclear-sub-off-Scots-coast" target="_blank">report</a></span></div>
Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-36981579979383673572013-02-08T14:10:00.001+00:002013-02-08T17:27:14.825+00:00Un-regulated discharges of Depleted Uranium to the Environment at Eskmeals Cumbria<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I noted this<a href="http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/atmospheric_discharges_of_du_fro#incoming-357907"> response from the Environment Agency</a> about a FOI asking</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"to see copies of the letters of agreement from the Environment Agency and predecessor to the Ministry of Defence for the atmospheric discharges of depleted uranium from VJ Battery at Eskmeals Firing Range, Cumbria."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The response from the EA dated 8/2/13</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Thank you for your e-mail dated 8 January 2013 regarding atmospheric</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>discharges at Eskmeals Firing Range.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>We have made a detailed and thorough search of all the files we hold regarding the Eskmeals site, this includes records we hold on site and we have also recalled the older records in off-site secure storage and assessed these. We can find no record of letters of agreement between MOD and the Environment Agency, or its predecessors, on aerial emissions from the VJ Battery at the Eskmeals site. The majority of our regulation at that site relates to permitting and regulation of solid waste disposal or on the use of radioactive sources for testing purposes. We wouldn’t have considered the firing of military weapons for test purposes from the VJ battery as a disposal of radioactive waste and therefore not subject to our regulatory arrangements with MOD."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The response is surprising in that it refers to discharge in the context of disposing of radioactive waste rather than a discharge to the environment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>" We wouldn’t have considered the firing of military weapons for test purposes from the VJ battery as a disposal of radioactive waste".</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The reply also talks in terms of "regulation" the EA has no powers to regulate since the <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1993/12/contents" target="_blank">Radioactive Substances Act</a> is diss-applied from the MOD.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A <a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/unregulated-discharge-of-depleted.html">previous post</a> goes into the detail of the relationship between the EA and the MOD</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"The response to this FOI request clearly shows the MOD failed to meet its own policy to seek letters of agreement from the EA when discharging substantial quantities of radioactive substances into the environment."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The reply from the EA shows that they have abdicated their responsibility to protect man and the environment so far as exercising proper oversight of the discharge of depleted uranium to the environment from the firing of DU at Eskmeals is concerned. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>This<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/27854/20110405_JSP815AnnexNAppx1MODEAMoURadioactiveMaterials_final_April2011.pdf"> extract from the JSP 815</a> clearly shows how the MOD is clearly in the driving seat so far as the regulation, oversight of radioactive substances and control of information are concerned. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>ANNEX N (APPENDIX 1) RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS ANNEX (TO THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY AND THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>para 27</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Agency will consult the Ministry on any request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 </i></span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(FOIA), or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR), for the release of any classified (see MoU) or sensitive information (including paper and electronic documents) originating from the Ministry. Unless information has been provided by the Ministry on the specific understanding that it will be published, the Agency will first consult the Ministry to ensure that all factors relevant to an assessment of the balance of public interest are understood and taken fully into account.</i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>28</b> Classified or sensitive information shall be managed in accordance with the Agency’s Security Management Procedure and <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/6/contents" target="_blank">the Official Secrets Act</a>. In order to minimise the requirement for the Agency to reply directly to FOIA/EIR requests involving classified or sensitive nuclear programme information, the Agency will be provided, where practical, with access to classified and sensitive information on a Ministry site rather than retain the information itself.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Footnote page 2: </b>6 For radioactive substances activities covered by this Annex, the Agency has no legal powers to enforce compliance.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-52235732756619251492013-02-04T19:49:00.001+00:002013-02-05T22:29:23.841+00:00Astute - no investigation of the root causes of the problems recently reported in the Guardian<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCsQ_uLuT7yyfms1WFkRZ0hTbctN7sVGBQj-0hj8_qaQLZhY_nsPjQVytEjym92sTABOn7rNMI0WiCwbzU4eUBXQg3IsbOvRvRZ1azIRythUeikqbtkDeM9ldyUaC3Nn_eUqDXC22uDw/s1600/astute_2055263a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCsQ_uLuT7yyfms1WFkRZ0hTbctN7sVGBQj-0hj8_qaQLZhY_nsPjQVytEjym92sTABOn7rNMI0WiCwbzU4eUBXQg3IsbOvRvRZ1azIRythUeikqbtkDeM9ldyUaC3Nn_eUqDXC22uDw/s320/astute_2055263a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In response to a <a href="http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/astute_teething_problems#incoming-356719">FOI request</a> the MOD has admitted the MOD has not carried any analysis of the root causes that that lead to problems on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astute_class_submarine">Astute class submarines</a> and that this was at least in part due to the collective loss of experience. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This raises serious questions as to the safety of the MODs' nuclear submarine programme, the effectiveness of the MOD management systems and in particular the effectiveness of the MOD's internal Nuclear Regulator and the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/defence-nuclear-safety-committee">Defence Nuclear Safety Committee</a>; it may only be luck that a serious incident has not yet happened. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This situation would certainly not be allowed to develop in the civil sector which is subject to independent regulation by the<a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/about.htm"> Office of Nuclear Regulation</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Original FOI request 29 December 2012</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Reply from the MOD dated 4th February 2013</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"Request for Information under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Further to my letter of 28 January 2013, I am writing to provide a substantive response to your request for the following information: </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/nov/15/hms-astute-submarine-slow-leaky-rusty">Guardian recently revealed problem</a>s with the Astute nuclear submarine, which is </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>coming to the end of three years of sea trials. </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Lister_(Royal_Navy_officer)">Rear Admiral Lister</a> is quoted as saying that "he had identified three sorts of problems with the Astute: </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>a: flaws in design that only became apparent when testing started; </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>b: equipment that broke down too easily; </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>c: and some problems relating to poor construction at the shipyard."" </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Could you please provide me with information about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_cause_analysis">root causes</a> of these problems. </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I can confirm that the MOD does not hold any information within the scope of your request. <b><span style="color: red;">This is because no analysis of problems on the Astute class submarines, nor any of the other lessons learning processes undertaken on the Astute programme,</span></b> have categorised problems in the exact terms you describe in your request. In his interview with the Guardian, Rear Admiral Lister was providing an engineer’s assessment of the generic problems experienced during the early phase of the Astute build programme, and not seeking to quote the formal lessons learning work that has taken place. </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Outside the scope of the FOI Act I should like to add that the most significant factor in the problems that have occurred in the Astute programme is the<b><span style="color: red;"> collective loss of experience of designing and building nuclear submarines</span></b> owing to the long gap between the construction of the last of the Vanguard class (HMS Vengeance) and the start of the construction of HMS Astute."</i></span>Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-48162231873165039572013-01-03T12:16:00.000+00:002013-01-03T19:18:14.952+00:00Dalgety Bay the saga drags on and on......<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The MOD needs to accept liability for the contamination at Dalgety Bay so that the contamination can </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">properly identified, managed and dealt with; claims by those who suffered blight etc can be </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">addressed. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The MOD needs to implement the principles of</span><a href="http://geography.lancs.ac.uk/envjustice/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"> environmental justice</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in its policies and decision making.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MODs reluctance to accept liability may be influenced by the precedent that might be set for the hundreds of other contaminated sites the MOD sold off since WW2, such as <a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/radium-contamination-confirmed-at-pulham.html" target="_blank">RAF Pulham</a> in Norfolk</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/news/roundup/articles/2012/12/31/442558-stop-passing-the-buck-over-bay-cleanup-warns-brown/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Dunfermline Press reports :- </a><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GORDON BROWN has asked the head of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">make an early decision on who is responsible for the radiation leaks at Dalgety Bay. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He said this was now essential if the remedial action plan to clean up the Bay area was to go ahead </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and be funded. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was time, he said, to name who was guilty for the leaks so further delays in cleaning up could be </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">avoided.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>He has written to SEPA after a letter to Dalgety Bay Community Council from the Ministry of Defence. In it the Ministry says it cannot agree to fund the clean-up until SEPA makes a decision as to who is responsible for the damage at the Bay's foreshore.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In his letter Mr Brown says the delays have to be brought to an end and he wants clean-up work to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">begin next May. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mr Brown, who has already met the Defence Secretary and held a Parliamentary debate on the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">issues, told SEPA, "It is clear that we will not make progress on the remediation plan until a decision </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">is made about responsibility for the contamination and in that context I am writing to ask when you </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">will make a determination on this issue.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"As we understand it there has yet to be conclusive evidence suggesting that other parties than the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ministry of Defence may be responsible for the dumping of radiation materials. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The MOD say they will only fund the clean-up if they are held to be liable by you and I hope you can </span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>tell me when we can come to a conclusion on this matter.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The people of Dalgety Bay have been very patient. We cannot continue with the prevarication and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">passing of the buck on who is responsible.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"A decision should be made as quickly as possible to protect the May 2013 timetable for the start of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the clean-up."</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My personal view has always been; that the evidence proves that the MOD was the probable source </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of the radium contamination and that by denying liability MOD has and continues to waste large </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">amounts taxpayers payers money over the period of 20 or more years since the contamination was </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">discovered. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is also very convenient that the papers relating to the sale of Dalgety Bay which may have provided </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">key evidence about liability cannot be found. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/dalgety-bay-mod-is-unable-to-locate.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Dalgety Bay the MOD is unable to locate records about the sale of radioactively contaminated land </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and the local Community Council appeals to the public for their help."</span></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Its notable that the MOD is looking find a sites to break apart the decommissioned nuclear </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">submarines including Roysth a few miles west of Dalgety Bay</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://nuclearinfo.org/article/submarine-dismantling/ministry-defence-seeks-commercial-sites-storage-radioactive-waste" target="_blank">NIS report</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"MoD has published a Request for Information in the Defence Contracts Bulletin and the Official </i></span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Journal of the European Union seeking responses from private owners of nuclear licensed sites in </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the UK that may, subject to a comprehensive and publicly transparent site selection process, be able </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to meet its intermediate level waste storage requirements.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Babcock Marine, owners of the Rosyth and Devonport dockyards which are being considered as </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">candidate sites for dismantling of the redundant submarines"</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In view of the way in which the MOD has handled the contamination of the beach and foreshore at </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dalgety Bay, it will be interesting to see to what extent there is public and political support in </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scotland for the dismantling work to take place at Rosyth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From an ethical point of view the choice of Rosyth could be seen the MOD taking advantage of an </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">economically disadvantaged community by holding out the chance of some short term work in </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">exchange for taking on the legacy of the nuclear submarine programme. Dalgety Bay provides an </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">example of the consequences of a legacy left by past defence activities.</span><br />
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Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-66641595196370872832012-12-28T10:07:00.000+00:002012-12-28T10:07:24.345+00:00Astute " teething troubles" <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/nov/15/hms-astute-submarine-slow-leaky-rusty" target="_blank">Guardian recently revealed problems</a> with the Astute nuclear submarine, which is coming to the end of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">three years of sea trials.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/dec/26/royal-navy-submarine-astute-problems" target="_blank">subsequent article in the Guardian</a> Rear Admiral Lister is quoted as saying</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"it would be wrong for the military to claim the difficulties were just "stuff and nonsense and teething troubles",but he also said it would also be wrong for critics to write off what is the navy's most technically advanced boat."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I think the truth lies between these two positions</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rear Admiral Lister is also quoted as saying that <i>"he had identified three sorts of problems with the Astute:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">flaws in design that only became apparent when testing started;</i></li>
<li><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">equipment that broke down too easily;</i></li>
<li><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and some problems relating to poor construction at the shipyard.""</i></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What the Guardian article does not explain are the root causes that lead to these problems. It would be most </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">interesting to know to what extent continuous organisational change together with budget cuts within the MOD </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>played a part; on this both the Guardian and the MOD are silent.</b></span><br />
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<br />Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-39450124341286322542012-12-19T09:21:00.000+00:002012-12-19T09:29:17.857+00:00Non SQEP staff in SQEP Posts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the 23rd of October MOD was<a href="http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/personnel_filling_sqep_posts_wit#incoming-342857" target="_blank"> requested to provide information</a> about suitably qualified and experienced (SQEP) personnel who provide key support to safe delivery MOD nuclear Programmes. </span><br />
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<br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The number of non-MOD personnel filling SQEP posts within MOD nuclear programmes, by year for the past 5 calendar years</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #20124d;">The number of non-MOD personnel filling SQEP posts within MOD Nuclear programmes who are non-SQEP, by year for the past 5 calendar years</span></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The number of MOD personnel filling SQEP posts within MOD Nuclear programmes who are non-SQEP, by year for the past 5 calendar years </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Number of SQEP posts within MOD Nuclear programmes where concessions have been granted to allow non-SQEP personnel to occupy the post, by year for the past 5 calendar years</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two months after the request the MOD is unable to provide the information requested and has yet again provided a holding reply saying they may respond by 21 of January. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The law requires the MOD to provide the information requested or an explanation as to why it cannot be provided within 20 working days of the request.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's surprising that MOD cannot provide the information about SQEP posts as the lack of SQEP personnel are a key risk to the safety of nuclear programmes, highlighted for years by the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/27707/20120110DNSR_Annual_Report_2011_FinalU.pdf" target="_blank">Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator in their annual reports</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It also appears that the MOD do not know how many concessions have been granted to allow non SQEP personnel to occupy SQEP posts. It is clear from a<a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B0QncEfmwSXSQ1lyYkhVenUzMGM" target="_blank"> letter written by John Day</a> the MOD's 2nd PUS to the union Prospect, that contractors have been used to fill some SQEP posts and in at least one instance a contractor has been removed from a SQEP post because they were not qualified and/or competent to occupy the post. It's of interest that the MOD was asked for the letter on 28th of August 2012 but only provided the letter 5th of December 2012 yet again well in excess of the 20 working days required by the FOI Act.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>" the first person supplied by the contractor was sub-standard"</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"The root cause of this initial under performance was, at least in part due to an inadequate statement of requirement being provided by the MOD initially and the Submarine OC accepts the need to improve how it specifies and manages the performance of contractors"</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This letter demonstrates that MOD has insufficient experienced staff to act as an intelligent customer for contractor services used to safely deliver its nuclear programmes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This may in part explain the reluctance of the MOD to provide information about the number of unqualified staff occupying SQEP posts with defence nuclear programmes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In view of the <a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/theres-something-wrong-with-our.html" target="_blank">recent articles in the Guardian News paper</a> its interesting to consider to what extent has the inability of MOD to find properly qualified and experienced people contributed to the problems with the Astute nuclear submarine reported by the Guardian. It is also interesting to consider what action the Health and Safety Executive might take under the Health and Safety at Work Act against the MOD for failing to provide a safe system of work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>It is now clear that the MOD does not know how many unqualified people occupy SQEP posts which are key to the safe the safe delivery of MOD's nuclear programmes.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>References</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/guardian-reports-hms-astute-quality_16.html" target="_blank">Earlier post - SQEP</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-nuclear-environment-and-safety-board-assurance-reports" target="_blank">DNESB Reports</a></span><br />
<br />Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-55660082836724675602012-11-25T09:37:00.000+00:002012-11-25T09:39:22.385+00:00Submarine safety letters in the Guardian Newspaper<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qGlP_Q6aeNr8AmZyICgWQtsRyIjU3VjBCgl-PFG5B9fJ3wiiQ-AWiLZYgtExDAERBVdfVSFsJB8LKSZPwf-tpK4UZJJsTZaHMcqg8VPkf21fFhaV5f241_Vn9-Q5HWFk_00F_urzly8/s1600/side-AstuteClassSubmarine200x283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qGlP_Q6aeNr8AmZyICgWQtsRyIjU3VjBCgl-PFG5B9fJ3wiiQ-AWiLZYgtExDAERBVdfVSFsJB8LKSZPwf-tpK4UZJJsTZaHMcqg8VPkf21fFhaV5f241_Vn9-Q5HWFk_00F_urzly8/s1600/side-AstuteClassSubmarine200x283.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On 16 November in response to the recent<a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/theres-something-wrong-with-our.html" target="_blank"> reports in the Guardian</a> newspaper Rear Admiral SR Lister wrote a<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/nov/16/astute-sea-trials-rectify-problems?INTCMP=SRCH" target="_blank"> letter to the Guardian</a></span><br />
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<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Astute sea trials will rectify problems</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>As the Royal Navy officer responsible for the delivery of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astute_class_submarine" target="_blank">Astute submarine </a>programme, I must respond to your claims about the performance and potential safety of HMS Astute (Report, 16 November). All those involved in the delivery of our submarines have a duty to the submariners that serve on them to ensure that we provide a safe environment in which to live and work. As a submariner myself, I am acutely aware of the need to meet the exacting safety standards we demand and we are committed to meeting them both for HMS Astute and for the remaining submarines in the class.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I would never allow an unsafe platform to proceed to sea and the purpose of the extensive sea trials HMS Astute is undertaking is to test the submarine in a progressive manner, proving that the design is safe, that it has been manufactured correctly and that she is able to operate safely and effectively. This process reflects the nature of HMS Astute as both a prototype and an operational vessel. We have always known that it would be necessary to identify and rectify problems during sea trials and this is what we have done. All the issues noted in the story have either already been addressed or are being addressed. In particular, while we do not comment on nuclear propulsion issues, or the speed of our submarines, I can assure you that, once HMS Astute deploys operationally, we do not expect there to be any constraints on her ability to carry out her full combat role for the Royal Navy.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I invite the Guardian to spend time on HMS Astute with me to see at first hand the professionalism of the crew, the confidence they have in their boat and the rigour with which sea trials are carried out and problems addressed.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Rear admiral SR Lister</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Director submarines, Ministry of Defence"</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was concerned that whilst the letter suggested that the problems reported were those normally expected to be encountered in a newly commissioned class of boat. I thought it was worth highlighting the shortcomings in the resources and expertise needed to ensure the delivery of the nuclear safety of the UK nuclear submarine fleet and the need for the independent regulation of nuclear safety. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/nov/19/submarine-safety-astute-radiation?INTCMP=SRCH" target="_blank">Letter of reply to Rear admiral SR Lister</a> published in the Guardian 19 November</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>" Submarine safety</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I read with interest the letter from Rear Admiral SR Lister, director submarines, Ministry of Defence, on the problems with the Astute submarine reported in this paper (17 November). As a former head of radiation protection policy at the MoD, I must say that public confidence would be greatly enhanced if the regulation of nuclear safety for the submarine fleet was transferred from the MoD's internal nuclear safety regulator to the Office for Nuclear Regulation, part of the Health and Safety Executive. It is also worth pointing out that the <a href="http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/7297F651-F583-41FD-9C46-2C6AE6A2B83B/0/20120110DNSR_Annual_Report_2011_FinalU.pdf" target="_blank">2010-11 annual report of the Defence Nuclear and Environment Safety Board</a> clearly shows how the MoD has failed to allocate sufficient resources to nuclear safety, in particular the lack of progress on recruiting and retaining experienced and qualified staff. The report clearly shows that ministers continue to ignore the MoD's internal nuclear regulator in the allocation of resources to support the safety of the naval nuclear propulsion programme.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fred Dawson </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director, Milcon Research"</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Reference</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/HealthandSafetyPublications/DSEA/DefenceNuclearEnvironmentAndSafetyBoardAssuranceReports.htm" target="_blank">MOD DNESB annual reports</a></span><br />
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Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-30693151901608811752012-11-16T19:35:00.001+00:002012-11-23T17:01:13.967+00:00Loss of specialist capabilities needed to support the nuclear propulsion programme <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXInHCXZXziuoWPrEBJuMVU1nYrnuTgpJtlr7MsYviipCJvfXwyzfHjakPGYX3OeJ1KQChz9fm8sCnzDgGGlQq2oydoEj1oVcZr0MtHUYbz5uOAjcka343n9O0GQNHLizUaWfsHlE7n3o/s1600/astute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXInHCXZXziuoWPrEBJuMVU1nYrnuTgpJtlr7MsYviipCJvfXwyzfHjakPGYX3OeJ1KQChz9fm8sCnzDgGGlQq2oydoEj1oVcZr0MtHUYbz5uOAjcka343n9O0GQNHLizUaWfsHlE7n3o/s320/astute.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Guardian reports - <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/nov/16/submarine-corrosion-cost-cutting-mod-memo" target="_blank">HMS Astute: quality control the key to restoring hunter-killer sub's reputation. Union fears MoD has lost too many specialists amid acute sensitivity over £10bn programme</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"This is what has alarmed union leaders, such as <a href="http://www.prospect.org.uk/select_an_industry/defence/index" target="_blank">Prospect's</a> Steve Jary, who fears the MoD has lost so many civilian specialists that it no longer has the ability to keep a proper eye on QA issues"</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><i>"The MoD is no longer able to supervise the construction of submarines effectively."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Regularly readers of this blog will recall a <a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/loss-of-specialist-capabilities-needed.html" target="_blank">recent post about the loss of specialist capabilities needed to support the nuclear propulsion programme.</a> The MOD was asked through a<a href="http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/loss_of_specialist_capabilities#outgoing-233949" target="_blank"> FOI request</a> to provide information about loss of specialist capabilities needed to support the nuclear propulsion programme and to explore what the Union Prospect was doing to resolve the issue.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>So far the MOD have failed to provide the information requested</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i><a href="http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/127384/response/335094/attach/3/20121114%20Dawson%20TU%20letters%20on%20SQEP%20UPDATE%20DRAFT%20U.PDF.pdf" target="_blank">Update on FOI request 23 November</a></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is becoming clear is the MOD may now reliant on contractors and granting concessions so that less skilled and experienced personnel can be placed in SQEP posts within the MOD's nuclear progarmmes. It is likely that this situation contributed at least in part to the problems reported in the Guardian Newspaper.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/defence-nuclear-environment-safety.html" target="_blank">2010-11 DNESB and earlier reports</a> clearly demonstrate how the MOD has failed to allocated sufficient resources to nuclear safety in particular the lack of progress on recruiting and retaining suitably experienced and qualified staff.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The 2010-11 DNESB report clearly shows that MOD Ministers continue to ignore MODs internal nuclear Regulator and demonstrates the need for full civil regulation by the Office for Nuclear Regulation</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other posts on this blog about previous DNESB reports have highlighted lack of staff and resources as a significant risk to the safety of MOD's nuclear programmes. If the Guardian newspaper reports are correct the consequences of this are now all too clear .</span>Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-90781899952052092972012-11-15T22:52:00.001+00:002012-11-20T17:02:21.547+00:00There's something wrong with our submarines<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWRL3tg2ajh4c58YamOQ5m3_gcsz3xZA_UvYPjSVfJgWov3dsOxZyEZ2sLgjM372B-enhrtEX7pB6fI5gaxPkLbzAwilUzLHrmp7illuuM0o7atyntpblDYFN72m35L8QiIhLraxGWQw/s1600/_46769562_astitutemod2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWRL3tg2ajh4c58YamOQ5m3_gcsz3xZA_UvYPjSVfJgWov3dsOxZyEZ2sLgjM372B-enhrtEX7pB6fI5gaxPkLbzAwilUzLHrmp7illuuM0o7atyntpblDYFN72m35L8QiIhLraxGWQw/s320/_46769562_astitutemod2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Guardian newspaper reports serious concerns about the safety of the newly commissioned <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyRXCKF8cYU" target="_blank">Astute class nuclear submarines.</a> Including</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• Flooding during a routine dive that led to Astute performing an emergency surfacing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• Corrosion even though the boat is essentially new.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• Concern over the instruments monitoring the nuclear reactor because the wrong type of lead was used.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As Earl Beatty said at the Battle of Jutland in the First World War <b><i>"There seems to be something wrong with our bloody ships today!</i></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;"><b><i>"</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Links to the Guardian Reports</b></span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/nov/15/hms-astute-submarine-slow-leaky-rusty?intcmp=239" target="_blank">Slow, leaky, rusty: Britain's £10bn submarine beset by design flaws, Royal Navy's HMS Astute 'has a V8 engine with a Morris Minor gearbox'</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/nov/15/astute-hunter-killer-submarines-doomed" target="_blank">Britain's nuclear hunter-killer submarines were doomed from the start, The flawed thinking and design behind the fleet at the heart of Britain's navy is now coming to the fore.</a></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If these reports are in any way correct, its seems the MOD's internal Nuclear Safety Regulator has been asleep at the wheel, making an overwhelming case for external regulation by the </span><a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/about.htm" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Office of Nuclear Regulation</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. It would not be surprising if budget cuts and cost savings also played a significant part in this very sorry situation. The question is, to what extent these defects put the submarine, its crew and the public at risk.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It interesting to see that the problems reported by the Guardian do not seem to feature in the annual report of the<a href="http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/7297F651-F583-41FD-9C46-2C6AE6A2B83B/0/20120110DNSR_Annual_Report_2011_FinalU.pdf" target="_blank"> Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator for 2011</a></span><br />
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<br />Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-71972480133093114452012-11-05T10:56:00.002+00:002012-11-05T11:59:09.780+00:00Video of DU firings at Eskmeals<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In response to a FOI request the Ministry of Defense has released a video of the DU firings carried out at Eskmeals on the Cumbria coast.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The video shows how during the early years of the firing programme significant quantities of DU were released to atmosphere and how in the later years of the firing programme efforts were made to reduce the discharge of DU to atmosphere</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lMLp-W5lfwQ" width="560"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Related Posts</b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/du-firing-programme-at-eskmeals-as-low.html" target="_blank">DU firings at Eskmeals "As Low As Reasonably Practical"? </a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/unregulated-discharge-of-depleted.html" target="_blank">Unregulated discharge of Depleted Uranium to the Environment</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/depleted-uranium-measurements-eskmeals.html" target="_blank">Depleted Uranium measurements Eskmeals West Cumbria</a></span></li>
</ul>
Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-22006642181024763312012-10-22T11:44:00.000+01:002012-10-22T13:22:41.138+01:00Dalgety Bay the MOD is unable to locate records about the sale of radioactively contaminated land and the local Community Council appeals to the public for their help.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJXeMSHDjVu3ROMOgF3-9-mFIUPA90dOHPkyZijo8QdkGJKBjcKSaNOmn2w0uWV5_hXEsbR6agf0f3TWAFEFhA1sTlT3Clpt06a9k-r3terzgxmx6mjR4N8B8TxeJGXCocRhCjevaO4c/s1600/radioactive_symbol_sticker-p217429359944132904envb3_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJXeMSHDjVu3ROMOgF3-9-mFIUPA90dOHPkyZijo8QdkGJKBjcKSaNOmn2w0uWV5_hXEsbR6agf0f3TWAFEFhA1sTlT3Clpt06a9k-r3terzgxmx6mjR4N8B8TxeJGXCocRhCjevaO4c/s200/radioactive_symbol_sticker-p217429359944132904envb3_400.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.dalgetybay.org.uk/page.asp?id=1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">"Dalgety Bay & Hillend Community Council</a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See the item of 3 October for details of what has prompted this reply</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Chairman writes: A reply from Moray Estates indicates that "They being professionally advised, could equally assume that had clear and accurate information been passed over relating to the exact nature and content of the salvage area in question then, it would be unlikely the Estate would have completed the purchase".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On this reply PLEASE NOTE THAT IF ANYBODY IN THE LOCAL AREA HAS KNOWLEDGE OF ANY OPERATIONS PARTICULARY IN RESPECT OF DONIBRISTLE AIRFIELD ON INCINERATION, DUMPING OF MATERIAL OR OTHER WORKS IN RELATION TO THE FORESHORE IN DALGETY BAY DURING THE 1950'S AND 1960'S, PLEASE CONTACT THE CHAIRMAN cmcphail.oceanwheels@btinternet.com or tel 01383 823750. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YOU MAY HAVE IMPORTANT INFORMATION WE CAN SEND TO THE MOD AND SEPA."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Letter from MOD to <span style="background-color: white;">Colin McPhail MBE leader of </span>Hillend Community Council</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Dear Mr McPhail,</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>DALGETY BAY FORESHORE RADIATION</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Thank you for your letter of the 6 August 2012. I can confirm that a copy was forwarded to the Rt Hon Andrew Robathan, whilst he was still the Minister for Defence Pensions, Welfare and Veterans, as you requested. Please accept my apologies for the delay in confirming this and for replying to your letter.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>As you will be aware we are now in the process of finalising arrangements to commence Stage 2 of the Investigation Plan and hope to have everything agreed ready to start in October. This will include engaging with residents, and I would like to thank you for your offer of assistance. I understand that my officials have already been in touch in this regard.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>With regard to the sale of the former RNAS Donibristle, it is unfortunate that we have not been able to establish the exact details of the documentation which was provided as part of the sale. We cannot therefore, comment on whether or not the information in question was passed across. What is certain is that we would have complied with the practice and legal requirements of the day. Given the fact that the salvage section was still present at the time of sale, combined with the breadth of the proposal put forward by the Moray Estates Development Company in respect of the site, it would seem fair to assume that they had a detailed knowledge of the site before committing to its purchase.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Returning to the Investigation Plan, we remain committed to delivering the investigation in order to assist SEPA to determine the nature and extent of the problem and what needs to be done to ensure the protection of the local community.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Again, please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Yours sincerely,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Mark Hutchinson</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Chief Operating Officer</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Defence Infrastructure Organisation</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>DESK 9, LEVEL 5 ZONE A, MOD MAIN BUILDING , WHITEHALL, LONDON, SW1A 2HB</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>MOD telephone: 9621 78294</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Telephone: 0207 807 8294 0207 807 8294?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Fax: 0207 218 2470 0207 218 2470</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Email: DIO-COSOpspport@mod.uk</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.mod.uk/DIO" target="_blank">Website</a></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The letter makes it clear that the MOD assumed that it would seem fair to assume that the Moray Estates Development Company had a detailed knowledge of the site before committing to its purchase. This is clearly an attempt to shift liability away from the MOD onto the Moray Estates Development Company. The MOD has not given in the letter any evidence to back up this assumption. It also calls into question how many other situations there are, where the MOD has sold land making the same assumption.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.dalgetybay.org.uk/page.asp?id=85" target="_blank">DALGETY BAY FORESHORE RADIATION e-petition</a></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WHAT CAN YOU DO?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can sign our official UK Goverment e-petition, and you can join our email campaign. Please do both! Urge everyone you meet to do the same</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"I respectfully ask the Ministry of Defence and Scottish Environment Protection Agency to state that remedial work on the contaminated foreshore area in Dalgety Bay will begin immediately after the investigation plan is satisfactorily completed and that those deemed responsible for the contamination will fund the work and have it completed by the end of 2013"</i></span>Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-5901778234103071732012-10-19T08:00:00.000+01:002012-10-19T08:00:50.797+01:00DU Firing programme at Eskmeals - As Low As reasonably Practical ?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyNkG3ELThyphenhyphenDPAwEOfJrewyazSmQVTIMHkDrUMTnLv8o21ZkHK2_CjVMepFeJQnFWbW2W7UoRlQrrjQJW44LuBm89q70YwmrU3yOJjkHb1wZrjbqjIyvlmjpS0-4SA_gQnbtzRK1YWR8/s1600/figure1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyNkG3ELThyphenhyphenDPAwEOfJrewyazSmQVTIMHkDrUMTnLv8o21ZkHK2_CjVMepFeJQnFWbW2W7UoRlQrrjQJW44LuBm89q70YwmrU3yOJjkHb1wZrjbqjIyvlmjpS0-4SA_gQnbtzRK1YWR8/s320/figure1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reference 1</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking back to the UK depleted uranium firing programme and in particular the firings carried out Eskmeals on the west Cumbrian coast. It is interesting to consider to what extent these firing complied with the duty to restrict exposures to as low as level as reasonably practical (ALARP). <br /><br />The </span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.600000381469727px;"><a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/3232/contents/made" target="_blank">IRR99</a> and the IRR85 requires employers to keep exposure to ionising radiation as low as reasonably practicable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">VJ Battery at Eskemals in the early years </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">was </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">essentially a traditional open butt with the addition of a roof and extract ventilation from each side of the butt. this</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> allowed the spray back of aerosolised DU and fragements through the open air onto a apron in front of the butt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To quote from the reports :-</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B0QncEfmwSXSRFNBTHpEMXcwOVU" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Safety Services Organisation MOD(PE) November 1983, The distribution of Depleted Uranium releases at P&&EE Eskmeals, excluding appendices.</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B0QncEfmwSXSQ3dmeDdvdmJDNDA" style="background-color: white; color: #33aaff; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Report summarising the measurements taken at VJ Butt P&EE Eskmeals of Depleted Uranium in air during the period 1981 to 1982.</a>
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<i style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>"The penetrator on impacting with the target produced pyrophoric fragments which rapidly disintegrate and. there is a spray back-up the range over an angle of 20 degrees for a distance of 60 metres."</b></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="color: #0b5394;"><b>"Total activity in air measurements taken outside the butt indicate that DU is being released to the environment at levels above the DAC for a period of time after firing. It is not possible to quantify the amounts.".</b> </i><span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span> DAC "<a href="http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/glossary/derived-air-concentration-dac.html" target="_blank">Derived Air Concentration</a>" ICRP 30</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>"The DU dust was found to be well within the respirable
size range, dust particles of this size have very long settling times and can
remain airborne for very long periods of
time and if allowed to disperse from the butt may travel many hundreds of
meters."</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the Department of Defense</span><a href="http://www.dodtechmatch.com/DOD/Lab/ViewFacility.aspx?id=71343#" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"> Superbox</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DU firing facility at Aberdeen Proving Ground Maryland USA. As can be seen the facility offers almost complete containment. It includes a flight tunnel with a drop down door. The Superbox facility is seen as an example of a facility that reduces exposures to the public and workers outside the facility to a level that is ALARP</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4MKFk2jUlQPcKBmo8X57h9w77_WuMDIJTwnK0HJ_7Us0s1D0ztzSiPadhcL1XvkHGv3UkvMWsEDpt2pyNe8DKiZL3SADC2w9tNVJmjPQnT7G-iRlAbHFmcBizJ-Pqci19GAXIE8D0ZM/s1600/r9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4MKFk2jUlQPcKBmo8X57h9w77_WuMDIJTwnK0HJ_7Us0s1D0ztzSiPadhcL1XvkHGv3UkvMWsEDpt2pyNe8DKiZL3SADC2w9tNVJmjPQnT7G-iRlAbHFmcBizJ-Pqci19GAXIE8D0ZM/s640/r9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNd0_ycpjbrjZdNvxbqdumS4EeeuPhNm0K6MVKZ3cPfST6sS2_GsUe6C9PhhUp9Q8OhjOGUslChBr0efXpni9U4ot1pu1LI_KN7jXccBXMTySJEKWxkZoo-lod3ZU7qmAq6mGJTlOEu2o/s1600/ImageDisplay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNd0_ycpjbrjZdNvxbqdumS4EeeuPhNm0K6MVKZ3cPfST6sS2_GsUe6C9PhhUp9Q8OhjOGUslChBr0efXpni9U4ot1pu1LI_KN7jXccBXMTySJEKWxkZoo-lod3ZU7qmAq6mGJTlOEu2o/s400/ImageDisplay.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The conclusion is that that in the early years of the firing programme the MOD failed to meet its legal duty to restrict exposures to as low as level as reasonably practical. It is also interesting to consider that that the VJ Battery at Eskmeals was probably very quick and cheap to build compared to the Superbox facility in the USA. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is now also <a href="http://milconrandc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/unregulated-discharge-of-depleted.html" target="_blank">clear that the MOD failed to seek letters of agreement</a> from the Environment Agency for the discharge of DU to atmosphere from </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">VJ Battery</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> at Eskmeals. This was in breach of the MODs' own policies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Later years of the firing programme at Eskmeals</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/FE42EEE2-9583-484A-B9D8-7F9D3BFE8518/0/ke_env_mon.pdf" target="_blank">DRPS Report</a> "Comparison of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kirkcudbright and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eskmeals </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Environmental </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monitoring Data with </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Generalised Derived </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Limits for Uranium" </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">June 2002 mentions that a tunnel was added to the face of VJ Butt in order to reduce discharges of DU to the environment. This acknowledged that the original firings at VJ did not comply with the requirement to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">restrict exposures to as low as level as reasonably practical.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">References</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1: <a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/theory/r2p2.pdf" target="_blank">HSE Reducing risks protecting people 2001</a></span>Fred Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00427602272543251591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2273884811786224338.post-39347579876126622022012-10-12T21:22:00.001+01:002012-10-12T23:03:53.789+01:00Radiation Protection Technical Advisory Committee (RAPTAC)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In response to a FOI request the MOD has released some of the minutes of the Radiation Protection Technical Advisory Committee (RAPTAC). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the main Committee concerned with ionising radiation protection. The papers provide an insight in the issues of concern to MOD Officials in the late 1970s and early 1980s. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It is notable that the MOD have only provided 3 sets of minutes not the 10 requested.. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Issues of note include :
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nuclear test veterans </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Retention and recruitment of Health Physicists </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Radiation </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">dose limits </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Application of the proposed Ionising Radiation Regulations to the MOD </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>Minutes </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B0QncEfmwSXSN05na2lXWXZuTEE" target="_blank">1983 2nd meeting</a> </span><br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B0QncEfmwSXSbDJURWRXT1Z6eGs" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1980 </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1st meeting </span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B0QncEfmwSXSREJTSUVIRWR6V0E" target="_blank">1979 2nd meeting </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B0QncEfmwSXSMFZ4Ry11bkU2WGM" target="_blank">Covering letterFOI and response</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/radiation_protection_advisory_co#incoming-320669" target="_blank">FOI and response</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Thank you for your email of 14 September 2012 requesting the following information:
Could you please provide me with the following information:- </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>1: Terms of reference of the Radiation Protection Advisory
Committee (RAPTAC) referred to in the 12th report of the House of
Commons Defence Committee Radiological Protection of Service and
Civilian Personnel </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> 2: date of the first meeting of RAPTAC </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> 3: Agendas of the first 10 meetings </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> 4: Minutes of the first 10 meetings </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>We are treating your correspondence as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. We have now completed an extensive search of archives for the information you requested and we have located the following documents.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>RAPTAC 2nd Meeting 1979 – Minutes </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>RAPTAC 1st Meeting 1980 – Minutes </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>RAPTAC 2nd Meeting 1983 – Agenda</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>RAPTAC 2nd Meeting 1983 – Minutes </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>RAPTAC 1st Meeting 1984 – Agenda </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>RAPTAC 2nd Meeting 1984 - Agenda </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>We have provided all the information that we could locate for you. These documents have been assessed under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and personal information has been redacted under the Absolute Exemption Section 40.</i></span>Milcon Research and Consultinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404482906081920312noreply@blogger.com0