It was revealed this week that last July, the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) site at Burghfield in Berkshire was so severely flooded that it came within 2 to 3 hours of a criticality, in which there was a risk of a plutonium cloud being released that would potentially have affected millions. In addition, alarm systems failed for ten days.
This information was kept from the public until it finally emerged this week through the Nuclear Information Service following a request for disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. AWE ML - the private consortium which operates the nuclear weapons sites at Burghfield and nearby Aldermaston on behalf of the MoD [1] - now admits that the risks involved were "incredible", but refuses to elaborate on grounds of "national security".
[1] AWE ML is a consortium of US arms giant Lockheed Martin, facilities management company Serco and the British Nuclear Group (formerly BNFL). The British Nuclear Group stake is due to be sold off shortly to an American company.
Links to this story:
SWAMPED!
The devastating impact of the July 2007 floods on Britain’s nuclear weapons factories
Nuclear Information Service report
http://nuclearinfo.org/view/nuclear_sites/accidents/a1952
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Shocking revelations over Atomic Weapons Establishment flooding
http://www.cnduk.org
Flood threat to nuclear arms site
Channel 4 News
http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/environment/flood+threat+to+nuclear+arms+site/2513357
Britain's nuclear weapons factory 'nearly overwhelmed' by flood
The Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/3178392/Britains-nuclear-weapons-factory-nearly-overwhelmed-by-flood.html
No alarms at nuclear site 'for ten days'
ITN (via Yahoo! News)
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20081013/tuk-no-alarms-at-nuclear-site-for-ten-da-dba1618.html
‘Nuclear warning disabled by flood’
Reading Evening Post
http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2037356_nuclear_warning_disabled_by_flood
Trident plant shut down in safety alert (older report)
Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/25/nuclear.defence
[1] AWE ML is a consortium of US arms giant Lockheed Martin, facilities management company Serco and the British Nuclear Group (formerly BNFL). The British Nuclear Group stake is due to be sold off shortly to an American company.
Links to this story:
SWAMPED!
The devastating impact of the July 2007 floods on Britain’s nuclear weapons factories
Nuclear Information Service report
http://nuclearinfo.org/view/nuclear_sites/accidents/a1952 Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Shocking revelations over Atomic Weapons Establishment flooding
http://www.cnduk.org Flood threat to nuclear arms site
Channel 4 News
http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/environment/flood+threat+to+nuclear+arms+site/2513357 Britain's nuclear weapons factory 'nearly overwhelmed' by flood
The Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/3178392/Britains-nuclear-weapons-factory-nearly-overwhelmed-by-flood.html No alarms at nuclear site 'for ten days'
ITN (via Yahoo! News)
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20081013/tuk-no-alarms-at-nuclear-site-for-ten-da-dba1618.html ‘Nuclear warning disabled by flood’
Reading Evening Post
http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2037356_nuclear_warning_disabled_by_flood Trident plant shut down in safety alert (older report)
Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/25/nuclear.defence
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