MOD: No LQA Undertaken At Chemical Weapons Sites In Wales And Cornwall

News From The Celtic League:

The Ministry of Defence has responded in quite specific detail to queries we raised with them about the chemical weapons manufacturing site at Nancekuke in Cornwall and also chemical weapons storage facilities in Wales at Llanberis and Llandrog.

We had written to them in late April enquiring if Land Quality Assessments (LQAs) undertaken at all current and disused MOD sites had included the three chemical weapons sites (link):

https://www.facebook.com/805941286121301/photos/a.806379472744149.1073741828.805941286121301/1013200245395403/?type=3&theater

It appears the answer is no in all cases.

We are grateful to DIO/MOD for this prompt and specific response

“Ministry of Defence
Defence Infrastructure Organisation

7 June 2016

Ref. TO 2016/00621

Dear Mr Moffatt

Thank you for your letter of 27 April 2016 to the Secretary of State for Defence concerning the Nancekuke Chemical and Biological warfare plant in Cornwall. In accordance with standard procedures I am responding to your letter and will answer each of your questions in turn:

a) Where was the material at Nancekuke disposed of and specifically did any solid material get deposited in the large number of inshore and deep sea munitions dumps around the British Isles?

b) When the site was cleaned up was material for the clean up operation disposed to offshore sites or to landfill?

The answers to questions a) and b) can be found on the Defence Estates Nancekuke Remediation Project page under the section The End of an Era" available through National Archives. Please see below for the link:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.ukh/…/Def…/Nancekuke/

c) Was a land quality assessment (LQA) undertaken at the site? If so was a copy published and is it still available. For information I am aware a site clearance certificate' was issued but this predates the LQAs instated by Mr Portillo of disused MOD sites in the 1990s.

MOD has been unable to identify any information relating to LQAs undertaken at this site.

d) On a related point. Following renewed controversy about the storage of weapons at former Llanberis and Llandrog in Wales after World War 2 (prior to there disposal) to offshore munitions dumping sites. Were these former bomb dumps subject to LQAs in the 1990s?

MOD's RAF Explosive Ordnance Disposal records do not show any LQAs relating to Llanberis and Llandwrog.

I trust this clarifies the Department's position.

Yours sincerely,

DIO Secretariat”

Image: Part of the weapon store at Llanberis in which nerve gas agents including Tabun and Sarin were stored prior to disposal off Donegal and in the North Channel

BERNARD MOFFATT
Public Relations Officer Mannin Branch

Issued by: The Manx branch of the Celtic League

TEL: 01624 877918 or 07624 491609

07/06/16

THE CELTIC LEAGUE

The Celtic League established in 1961 has branches in the six Celtic Countries including our own Mannin branch. It promotes cooperation between the countries and campaigns on a range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights human rights abuse, military activity and socio-economic issues

The link for the main web pages is below:

http://celticleague.net