SIGHTINGS



Secret Rolls-Royce Nuclear
Fuel Plant In Major City
Had Serious Safety Flaws
http://www.excite.co.uk/news/news_story/news/news0.txt
10-17-99

 
City's residents shocked and outraged.
 
The operator of a secret nuclear fuel plant in the heart of one of Britain's major cities has confirmed that it had been told to address serious safety flaws.
 
In March this year a report by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) criticised the safety procedures at the Rolls-Royce plant in Raynesway, Derby.
 
The plant, which processes radioactive material for the Ministry of Defence, carries out work similar to that at the Tokaimura plant in Japan which was at the centre of a "critical" radiation leak last month.
 
Rolls-Royce has always said that the marine power division at Raynesway makes propulsion systems for nuclear submarines, but the delicate and dangerous operation of processing highly enriched uranium was classified until now.
 
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament said, after the accident in Japan, that it was contacted by workers at the Derby plant who feared a similar disaster.
 
They told CND that the Rolls-Royce plant had no facility for containing radiation if a serious accident occurred and that there was no off-site emergency plan to deal with a nuclear accident.
 
A spokesman for Rolls-Royce said that the NII, which is part of the Heath and Safety Executive (HSE), did find flaws in its safety procedures.
 
He said: "We have now clarified the position, changed our procedures and practised them three times.
 
"Last week we had an emergency exercise involving the emergency services which was observed by the NII. Afterwards, the NII said it was now satisfied with our procedures."
 
A spokeswoman for the HSE confirmed that there had been safety concerns at the plant, but would not say what they were.





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