Scotland: Nuclear Waste Flight Concerns

News from the Celtic League:

The issue of the transport of nuclear waste by air from Dounreay in Scotland to the United States is to be highlighted at the Scottish parliament this week it is an issue the Celtic League highlighted last year (link):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/…/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-386365…

The concerns about the suitability of Wick Airport are well founded it seems that the large C-17 Transport aircraft which carry the waste cannot take of with enough fuel for Atlantic transit. The aircraft make a short hop from Wick to the military airfield at Lossiemouth (Moray) where they are refuelled. Fully laden they then go on to the United States (link):

http://www.insidemoray.com/concerns-over-nuclear-waste-fli…/

The carriage of civil nuclear materials by air is not new and indeed at least one Irish Sea airport – Carlisle – has handled the flights.

In 2014 the airport authorities were quick to dismiss anti-nuclear claims over Carlisle airport expansion as being a precursor for such flight (link):

http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk/…/Cumbrian-nuclear-flights-…

However almost twenty years earlier the airport had been used for air transports of highly toxic plutonium with the attendant risks to Irish Sea communities being played down by the Sellafield (then) operator British Nuclear Fuels (link):

http://www.independent.co.uk/…/bnfl-strives-to-allay-flight…

Image: C-17 Transport Aircraft - USAF

BERNARD MOFFATT
Public Relations Officer Mannin Branch

Issued by: The Mannin branch of the Celtic League.

16/01/17