from Sunday Herald, 06 November 2011
Depleted uranium (DU) weapons are set to be tested in Scotland again in the next two years because they have to be renewed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Sunday Herald has learnt.
The resumption of DU tests at the Dundrennan military firing range near Kirkcudbright on the Solway coast will reignite opposition from the Scottish government and environmentalists worried about pollution and possible health effects.
The revelation comes as politicians and campaigners launch a new drive today to persuade the MoD to drop DU weapons. A motion at Westminster has been backed by Labour, Liberal, Conservative, nationalist and other MPs.
DU is a radioactive and chemically toxic heavy metal produced as waste by the nuclear industry. It has been widely used by UK and US military forces to harden armour-piercing shells fired in the Gulf, Balkans and Iraq wars.
When DU weapons burn, they release a hazardous dust that can contaminate wide areas. Civilians and soldiers exposed to the contamination claim to have suffered from cancers, birth defects and other illnesses as a result.
Since 1982 more than 6,000 shells have been test-fired at Dundrennan in Dumfriesshire, containing up to 30 tonnes of DU. Soil samples taken in 2006 showed the highest contamination for ten years in breach of agreed safety limits, and high levels of DU have been discovered in earthworms on the site.
The last time DU shells were tested there was in March 2008. But according to the MoD, the propelling charges in the CHARM3 DU shells fired by Challenger tanks will need to be renewed in 2013.
The MoD says it wants to retain its DU capability and is currently “considering options” for the renewal. But any replacement or modified shells will need to be tested at Dundrennan.
“Current plans to extend the life of the UK's DU ammunition will entail more testing at Dundrennan, unless the government at last recognises DU's unacceptability and removes this toxic Cold War relic from its arsenal,” said Aneaka Kellay from the Campaign Against Depleted Uranium.
“The MoD has fired more DU in Scotland than anywhere else on the planet yet the Scottish government claims it is powerless to intervene.”
The Labour MP for North Ayrshire and Arran, Katy Clark, said she would be concerned if DU tests resumed in Scotland. “There remain health concerns about these weapons and we should be concentrating on getting an international ban on their production and use,” she said.
Clark is one of the sponsors of an early day motion in the House of Commons that criticises DU weapons for leaving a “toxic legacy”. It calls on the government to take the opportunity offered by the renewal of CHARM3 in 2013 to cease using DU.
The motion has been so far supported by 23 MPs, including the SNP leader in Westminster, Angus Robertson; the Conservative backbencher, Peter Bottomley; four Liberal Democrats, three members of Plaid Cymru and 11 Labour MPs.
Campaigners have evidence that tests for the MoD have suggested that German-made tungsten shells performed better than DU shells. They believe that this, combined with spending cuts, could spell the end for Britain’s DU weapons.
The Scottish government said it was “strongly opposed” to DU testing on Scottish soil. “While this is a reserved matter, the MoD has assured the Scottish government it will provide early notification of any test firing of depleted uranium shells at Kirkcudbright,” said a government spokeswoman.
“The MoD will continue to liaise with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on the environmental aspects of activities on the Kirkcudbright range, including implications of any future testing of depleted uranium munitions.”
The MoD said there were "no current plans" for further testing of DU shells at Dundrennan. "In addition, any current testing has all been done in full consultation with the Scottish government and there is nothing to suggest this would not continue," added an MoD spokesman.
Sorry forgot auto link.
http://www.economic-undertow.com/2011/11/07/non-battle-of-fukushima/
Posted by: cynicalHighlander | 08 November 2011 at 06:24 PM
The Non-Battle of Fukushima …
Posted by: cynicalHighlander | 08 November 2011 at 06:22 PM
Where's the MOD based and where are the tests being done? We don't want any part of your wars and we don't want your dangerous toxic waste in our country.
Posted by: Lenathehyena | 07 November 2011 at 04:24 PM