Rob Edwards

‘Silly’ secrecy over nuclear bomb convoys

Exclusive, 16 June 2009

They are the most dangerous weapons on earth. They trundle through your town in heavily-armed convoys and they sail up the Clyde in submarines, but the Ministry of Defence (MoD) won't admit that they are there - and it may not tell the emergency services.

A secret MoD manual released under freedom of information legislation reveals that it is official policy neither to confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear bombs even when it is “obvious”. And in some accidents police, fire and ambulance services may not be told unless they ask.

The revelation has provoked alarm amongst councillors for the safety of members of the public and emergency workers. It is “downright silly” of the MoD not to warn councils when nuclear convoys are on the move, they say.

Large convoys carry warheads for Trident missiles by road several times a year between the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Berkshire and the Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Coulport on Loch Long, north west of Glasgow. Vanguard-class submarines operating out of Faslane on the Gareloch are armed with the warheads.

Poor countries could be paid to go nuclear

from New Scientist, 5 June 2009

For the first time in eight years, countries are contemplating giving nuclear stations carbon credits in the run-up to the crucial world summit on climate change in Copenhagen in December. This could greatly boost prospects of a global nuclear expansion.

Draft text currently under negotiation at climate change talks by 182 countries in Bonn, Germany, includes an option to make nuclear facilities eligible for funding from 2012 under two schemes meant to help poorer countries develop low-carbon technologies: the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation.

Nuclear power was excluded from these schemes under the Kyoto protocol in 2001, after opposition from European and developing countries. Now the nuclear industry is hoping to overturn that, and open the door for funding to flow to nuclear stations across the developing world.

Ministry of Defence admits more radioactive leaks from nuclear submarines

from The Guardian, 18 May 2009

Radioactive waste has leaked from Britain's nuclear submarines nine times in the past 12 years, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has admitted. Two of the leaks – including one at Devonport near Plymouth two months ago – had not been revealed until today.

Confirmation of the leaks raises new questions about the MoD's safety record, which has been coming under increasing scrutiny since HMS Vanguard, a British submarine armed with Trident nuclear missiles, collided with a nuclear-armed French submarine, Le Triomphant, under the Atlantic in February.

Last month, the Guardian reported a series of safety breaches at the Royal Navy's nuclear submarine base at Faslane near Glasgow. Documents released to Channel Four News under freedom of information legislation disclosed three leaks of radioactivity from nuclear submarines into the Firth of Clyde in 2004, 2007 and 2008.

A further four leaks have been previously reported: two at Devonport in 2005 and 2008 and two at sea in 1997 and 2000. Now the MoD has told the Guardian about another two inadvertent releases of radioactivity, both of which were hitherto unknown.

Public pay £100 million more to make Trident fit

from Sunday Herald, 10 May 2009

British taxpayers are having to fork out an extra £100 million this year to replace the Trident nuclear weapons system because of fears that the missile being designed in the US could be the wrong size.

The UK government is funding all of a contract for a US company to design a new missile compartment at a plant in Connecticut in an attempt to ensure that it will fit submarines designed in the UK.

The revelation raises new questions about the spiralling cost of replacing Trident, and has been strongly condemned by the Scottish National Party (SNP) and anti-nuclear campaigners.

The problem has arisen because the UK Trident replacement programme, which depends on the US to design and build the missiles, was five years ahead of the US programme. The Sunday Herald revealed in 2007 that this caused a major headache in ensuring that future US missiles would be compatible with UK submarines.

New evidence of lax safety at Clyde bomb base

28 April 2009

New evidence of poor safety standards at the nuclear bomb base at Faslane on the Clyde is revealed in an internal document from the government’s health and safety watchdog.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said it was “extremely disappointed” with the attitude of Faslane supervisors towards protecting their staff from potential accidents. Critics have compared the base’s safety bungles to those of the cartoon character, Homer Simpson.

The document, released to Channel Four News under freedom of information legislation, discloses a series of mishaps which have worried the HSE. In one incident a “spray leak” of radioactivity had caused “potential contamination”.

In another incident, ship’s staff were accused of “failing to control a designated area”. According to the HSE, these two events “seemed to point to a lack of understanding” of radiation safety rules.

There had been a “recent history of radiological incidents on boats”, the HSE said, and it was “concerned” about staff training and knowledge. Faslane’s radioactive waste disposal building was “in a poor state”.

Revealed: MoD guilty of repeated nuclear safety breaches

from The Guardian, 27 April 2009

by Rob Edwards and Severin Carrell

Britain’s nuclear submarine fleet has been hit by a series of serious safety breaches involving repeated leaks of radioactive waste from submarines, broken pipes and waste tanks at its home base on the Clyde, the Ministry of Defence has disclosed.

In a confidential report released under the Freedom of Information Act, the MoD has admitted that safety failings at the UK’s main nuclear submarine base at Faslane near Glasgow are a “recurring theme” and ingrained in the base’s culture.

The worst breaches include three leaks of radioactive coolant from nuclear submarines in 2004, 2007 and 2008 into the Firth of Clyde, while last year a radioactive waste plant manager was replaced. It emerged he had no qualifications in radioactive waste management.

The repeated safety breaches, which have been revealed in documents released to Channel 4 News, (see video) are so serious that the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) has warned that it would consider closing the base down if it had the legal powers to do so.

The MoD is legally exempt from the civil radioactive safety regulations policed by Sepa but promised the agency a number of times it would voluntarily uphold those laws at the base – promises that Sepa has now accused the MoD of repeatedly breaking.

Failure after failure at home of Trident fleet

from The Guardian, 27 April 2009

by Rob Edwards and Severin Carrell

They are devastating admissions about one of Britain’s most significant nuclear sites, the sprawling and heavily-defended base for the UK’s nuclear deterrent at Faslane, a facility which dominates the coastline on a quiet sea loch north-west of Glasgow.

Detailed within 400 pages of closely-typed internal reports, emails and letters released under the Freedom of Information, are startling admissions of a culture of incompetence, repeated safety breaches and basic failures of management at the base.

Faslane has been home to the UK’s nuclear missile fleet since Polaris came into service in the mid-60s, and is now the base for the four Trident missile submarines that replaced it. The facility, known formally as HM Naval Base Clyde, is also the base for one remaining nuclear-powered Swiftsure hunter killer, and four Astute class submarines coming into service from next year.

Revealed: a web of police bids to infiltrate protest groups

from Sunday Herald, 26 April 2009

A long-running and intricate web of covert police attempts to spy on peaceful activists and infiltrate legitimate protest movements in Scotland has been uncovered by the Sunday Herald.

Citizens protesting against nuclear bases on the Clyde have been offered cash for intelligence by Ministry of Defence (MoD) police, it has been claimed, while environmental activists report similar offers from Strathclyde Police.

They all back up the revelation made yesterday that Strathclyde police offered to pay Tilly Gifford, an anti-airport protester with Plane Stupid, for inside information. She recorded two police officers making the offer.

The veteran anti-nuclear activist, Jane Tallents from Helensburgh, spoke about how she and five others arrested for blockading the Coulport nuclear armaments depot on Loch Long were offered money. They were all invited one by one for “cosy chats” with two female MoD police officers, she said.

Police tactics backfire, say protesters

for Sunday Herald, 26 April 2009

One of the aims of police informers is to undermine, demoralise and divide protest groups, but in fact they can have the opposite effect.

At least that’s what campaigners said yesterday as details of attempts by Strathclyde and Minister of Defence police to offer cash for intelligence emerged.

“They want us to break up and disband but exactly the opposite is happening,” said Dan Glass, from the anti-airport group, Plane Stupid. “We’ve had lots of people getting in touch and offering us their support.”

Scrap Trident, says General

from Sunday Herald, 26 April 2009

He’s not one of the usual suspects, and he didn’t mince his words. “Trident is no bloody use,” he said. “Let’s not waste money on it”.

General Sir Hugh Beach, the former deputy Commander-in-Chief of UK Land Forces, was in Glasgow yesterday to talk about Britain’s nuclear bombs. The submarines based on the Clyde and armed with Trident nuclear warheads should not be replaced but immediately scrapped, he argued.

His dramatic call echoes those of a series of former military top-brass demanding government action on nuclear disarmament. And it comes against a background of international moves to cut nuclear weapons stockpiles, initiated by US President, Barack Obama.

UK clings onto Trident while the world seeks to disarm

from Sunday Herald, 05 April 2009

The UK government has backtracked on its suggestion that the number of submarines carrying Trident nuclear weapons could be cut from four to three.

As US president, Barack Obama, launches a ground-breaking nuclear disarmament initiative and a powerful coalition of former generals and world leaders call for nuclear warheads to be scrapped, UK ministers are clinging on to their nuclear bombs.

Amongst those now backing the Global Zero campaign to rid the world of nuclear weapons are the former US President, Jimmy Carter, and his national security adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski; the former head of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev; the UK’s former foreign secretaries, Douglas Hurd, Malcolm Rifkind and Margaret Beckett; and the former Irish president, Mary Robinson.

In order to sweeten the decision to replace Trident in 2006, ministers let it be known that they were considering one less submarine in the future. The suggestion was that with three submarines it would be possible to keep one constantly on patrol.

But that idea has now been firmly squashed by the Foreign Office Minister, Lord Malloch Brown. “It would not be possible to reduce the number of submarines in service from four to three, because that would not allow us constant coverage at sea,” he said.

Growing campaign to ban depleted uranium weapons

from Sunday Herald, 05 April 2009

The Scottish government is coming under mounting pressure to back an international ban on the use of depleted uranium (DU) in weapons.

MSPs from the Scottish Nationalist, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties are calling on Scottish ministers to try and stop DU from being used by the UK government in future conflicts. They also want an end to the testing of DU shells at the Dundrennan military firing range near Kirkcudbright.

The Scottish government has strongly opposed the test firing of DU shells on Scottish soil. But under the terms of the devolution settlement, it has no powers to prevent it.

US scientists forget how to make Trident warhead

from Sunday Herald, 08 March 2009

Plans to refurbish Trident nuclear weapons had to be put on hold because US scientists forgot how to manufacture a vital component of the warhead, a US congressional investigation has revealed.

The US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) “lost knowledge” of how to make a mysterious but very hazardous material codenamed Fogbank.  As a result the warhead refurbishment programme was put back by at least a year, and racked up an extra $69 million.

According to some critics, the delay could cause major problems for the UK Trident programme, which is very closely tied to the US programme and uses much of the same technology.

The US and the UK are trying to refurbish the ageing W76 warheads that tip Trident missiles in order to prolong their life, and ensure they are safe and reliable. This apparently requires that the Fogbank in the warheads is replaced.

No safety plans for submarines damaged at sea

22 February 2009

The safety schemes meant to protect the communities around the Clyde from a nuclear accident fail to take account of the risks from submarines damaged by accidents at sea.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the government’s Health and Safety Executive have admitted that their hazard evaluations for submarine berths do not cover the dangers posed by boats returning after crashes.

Last week it emerged that HMS Vanguard, a submarine armed with Trident nuclear missiles, returned to the Clyde naval base after a collision earlier this month with a nuclear-armed French submarine, Le Triomphant, in the Atlantic.

In the early hours of Friday morning the damaged Vanguard was moved from the explosives handling jetty at Coulport on Loch Long to the shiplift at Faslane on Gare Loch, so it can be inspected. The operation was filmed by anti-nuclear activists.

Top secret Trident move on film

20 February 2009

A top secret operation to move a damaged Trident nuclear submarine on the Clyde in the early hours of this morning was filmed by anti-nuclear activists.

Between midnight and 2am HMS Vanguard, dented after a collision with a French nuclear submarine in the Atlantic, was taken from the explosive handling jetty at Coulport on Loch Long to the shiplift at the naval base at Faslane on Gare Loch.

The operation was done under cover of darkness to minimise the risk of terrorist attack, but it was filmed arriving at Faslane by the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (download footage below). The operation involved a convoy of tugs, military police boats, Royal Marine inflatables and helicopters hovering overhead.

HMS Vanguard, one of the UK’s four submarines that carry Trident missiles armed with up to 48 nuclear warheads, collided with Le Triomphant on the 3rd or 4th of February at an unknown location in the Atlantic. Until now, it has not been pictured since the accident.

Revealed: the nuclear horror that justified Trident

from Sunday Herald, 08 February 2009

The UK government deployed Trident nuclear missiles because they could cause the total breakdown of Russian cities by killing half their inhabitants, according to a top secret document passed to the Sunday Herald.

To ensure that the warheads inflicted “unacceptable damage” on Moscow and St Petersburg, the government was prepared to explode them at ground level to maximise lethal levels of radioactive contamination.

These revelations are considered so sensitive that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has tried to cover them up in case they hamper current plans to replace Trident. Senior officials are still carrying out the same kind of “Dr Strangelove arithmetic”, critics say.

The original decision to adopt the Trident nuclear weapons system was taken in 1980 by the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. As a result up to 200 warheads are now stored at Coulport on the Clyde, and deployed on submarines.

Trident condemned as barbaric and illegal by leading judge

from Sunday Herald, 01 February 2009

The UK government’s plan to maintain nuclear weapons on the Clyde will this week be condemned as cruel, criminal and barbaric by a world-leading legal expert.

In a powerful tour de force at a major conference on Trident on Tuesday, the former vice-president of the International Court of Justice, Judge Christopher Weeramantry, will back attempts by the Scottish government to remove nuclear warheads from Scottish soil.

He will also argue that non-violent resistance to nuclear weapons can be justified in international law. Trying to protect humanity from the ultimate catastrophe of a nuclear war is every citizen’s right, he will say.

Judge Weeramantry presided at the international court at the Hague when it issued a historic opinion on the legal status of nuclear weapons in 1996. Before that he was a Justice at the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.

On Tuesday he will be in Edinburgh to deliver one of the main addresses at a conference on international law and Trident organised by the Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy and others. An advance copy of his presentation has been seen by the Sunday Herald.

Trident costs ‘obscene’

from Sunday Herald, 21 December 2008

The cost of looking after the Trident nuclear weapons system on the Clyde will soar to a total of £770 million over the next six years, according to the Ministry of Defence.

The defence minister, Quentin Davies, has said that the annual cost of maintaining and overhauling the four Vanguard submarines which carry Trident missiles will rise from £95 million in 2008-09 to £161 million in 2013-14.

MoD study on nuclear veterans condemned as a ‘lemon’

from Sunday Herald, 07 December 2008

A crucial Ministry of Defence (MoD) health study which deprived thousands of nuclear test veterans of compensation was secretly condemned by government scientists as a "lemon", the Sunday Herald can reveal.

Critics have accused the MoD of deliberately designing the study to fail so that it wouldn’t have to pay out millions of pounds to help veterans who claimed to have suffered ill-health as a result of radiation from nuclear explosions.

Now there are fears that a new health study of veterans and their offspring being planned by the MoD could repeat the same mistakes. The MoD, however, says that it is exploring “all avenues of research”.

US advances Trident work to help UK

from Sunday Herald, 23 November 2008

The US government has accelerated its programme to replace Trident nuclear missiles to help the UK, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.

The British government has been wrestling to overcome the problems of replacing Trident caused by the British programme being five years ahead of the US. Because many of the key components are shared, this has been causing design headaches.

The UK’s plan is to introduce a new submarine to carry Trident missiles in 2024, while the US hadn’t been planning to replace its Ohio class submarines until 2029. But evidence to the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee last week suggests that has now changed.

The head of submarines at the MoD, Rear Admiral Andrew Mathews, told the committee that the “enduring strength” of the Trident replacement programme was its relationship with the US. But he accepted that the different timeframes had created difficulties.