All aboard: NFLA Spokesperson visits Rosyth for nuclear sub inspection

1 year ago 78

The UK/Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities spokesperson on nuclear submarine decommissioning was able to see the work being carried out first-hand at the former Rosyth Royal Naval Dockyard this week (Wednesday 14 December).

But Councillor Brian Goodall and his colleagues did not have to travel so far to make the visit, for the dismantling facility lies within the boundaries of the Rosyth Ward that he represents on Fife Council.

The dockyard was sold in 1997 to Babcocks who were subsequently commissioned to carry out the work deconstructing seven former Royal Navy submarines, which is especially tricky as they were all powered by nuclear reactors. These once proud and powerful vessels now lie idle in the dock as the 200-strong workforce busy themselves to dismantle each in turn.

Cllr Goodall was able to go onboard a submarine to see the progress and to observe the safety processes in place for workers and visitors. He also visited the waste storage facility and saw how radioactively contaminated materials from the Dismantling Project went through the building before leaving the site.

The visit followed a presentation by Jim Cochrane from Babcocks and Christine Bruce from the Ministry of Defence to the Fife Council’s South and West Fife Area Committee attended by Cllr Goodall. At that meeting, Cllr Goodall called for the re-establishment of the local liaison group so elected members and other representatives from the Rosyth community could have ongoing input into the delivery of the project.

Councillor Goodall said: “The big news for me from the visit is that work is now underway to prepare for the transfer of the resins, the last intermediate level waste at Rosyth, to a facility in Dorset.

“This would mean the whole of the storage facility would be available for the Subs Project, and in my view, address a major concern for the local community about what’s being stored at Rosyth.

“These resin containers are to be transported by road, two at a time in a modified freight container, so once again transportation and the engagement with Councils along the route will be an issue for us but hearing that this intermediate level waste could all be off site within a year or two was welcome news from a local point of view”.

Given his local connection to the project, and his previous experience as a member of MOD’s Nuclear Submarine Dismantling Advisory Group, Councillor Goodall was recently appointed by the Nuclear Free Local Authorities as their Spokesperson on Nuclear Submarine Decommissioning. As there are currently 14 more nuclear submarines awaiting disposal at Devonport, his remit includes England as well as Scotland.

Councillor Goodall mused on the eventual fate of each submarine: “At a future point, the reactor vessel will be removed from each submarine and sent to interim storage before they are ultimately moved to a proposed Deep Geological Disposal Facility, an underground nuclear waste dump, a site for which has not yet been found.”