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The Royal Navy is to drop a dangerous type of reactor used in its existing nuclear submarines because it fails to meet modern safety standards, defence ministers have disclosed. A safer type of reactor is expected to be used in the submarines that will replace the Trident fleet, as the existing design shares very similar features to the nuclear reactors involved in the Fukushima Daiichi disaster in Japan. Liam Fox, the defence secretary, told MPs there was a "very clear-cut" case to use the new type of reactor because it has "improved nuclear safety" and would give "a better safety outlook". A heavily censored Ministry of Defence report disclosed earlier this month by the Guardian and Channel 4 News said the current reactors are "potentially vulnerable" to fatal accidents, which could cause "multiple fatalities" among submarine crews.

"Nearly three-quarters of opinion formers in Britain think the government should either scrap the country's nuclear weapons or look for a cheaper alternative, according to a poll published on Tuesday. Just under a third of business leaders, politicians, academics and journalists polled by YouGov for the Chatham House think tank said Britain should abandon its nuclear deterrent after it expires in 2024. This is higher than a fifth of ordinary voters polled by YouGov who want to scrap it. The replacement of Britain's submarine-launched Trident missile system is expected to cost at least 20 billion pounds, a sum critics say is unthinkable at a time of drastic spending cuts pushed by Prime Minister David Cameron."

"We are now confronting the problems of nuclear power - the waste generated and the radioactivity of the reactor generators that need to be "decommissioned." Bruce Power will pay Studsvik $1 million for each of the planned 17 generators to be "cleansed" in Sweden. Normally an intelligent country, Sweden is embarking on a process that will harm its workers and proliferate the material throughout its industries. Of course the ship may not run into trouble on its journey through the Great Lakes and across the Atlantic. Retrieving the behemoth from the bottom of the Atlantic would be difficult. It would probably be left there along with the sunken nuclear submarines corroding away."

"A leading Russian expert on North Korea said on Thursday he had serious doubts about Pyongyang's involvement into the sinking of South Korea's Cheonan warship. Relations between the two Koreas soured after Seoul accused North Korea of firing a torpedo from a submarine at the 1,200-ton South Korean Cheonan corvette. The vessel sank near the disputed Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea on March 26 causing the loss of 46 lives. "I personally have serous doubts that it was North Korea that sank the ship. Why do this? For what purpose?... I don't see any logic," said Konstantin Pulikovsky, who maintained official contacts with Pyongyang while serving as presidential envoy to Russia's Far East in 2000-2005."

"The Ministry of Defence is struggling to deal with hundreds of safety blunders, pollution leaks and environmental lapses at nuclear weapons bases on the Firth of Clyde. Official reports obtained by the Sunday Herald reveal that Faslane and Coulport have been plagued by nuclear accidents, radioactive contamination and fires over the last two years. Worryingly, there have been unspecified "shortfalls" in the safe management of nuclear bombs. And rules meant to protect people against asbestos and even Legionnaires' disease have been frequently broken."

"Two British nuclear submarines went to sea with a potentially disastrous safety problem that left both vessels at risk of a catastrophic accident, the Guardian can reveal. Safety valves designed to release pressure from steam generators in an emergency were completely sealed off when the nuclear hunter killers Turbulent and Tireless left port, a leaked memo discloses. The problem went undetected on HMS Turbulent for more than two years, during which time the vessel was on operations around the Atlantic, and visited Bergen in Norway, the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, and Faslane naval base near Glasgow."

"The Army Corps of Engineers will hold its rescheduled meeting on the cleanup of the BWX Technologies nuclear waste dump along Route 66 in Parks later this month. The much-anticipated public meeting originally was scheduled for Feb. 23 but was canceled by the Corps Pittsburgh District because the agency was preparing for potential flooding from local rivers. The anticipated flooding never materialized. The 44-acre dump site near Kiskimere Road received a variety of contaminated waste from BWXT's predecessors, Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp. (NUMEC), and the Atlantic Richfield Co. plant in Apollo from 1960 to 1970. The Apollo plant produced nuclear fuel for submarines and power plants as well as a range of nuclear products for the U.S. government and others."

"The Murmansk regional parliament last week approved the federal law on radioactive wastes. That could turn the region into a nuclear dump, environmentalists say. The law opens up for the underground storage of radioactive waste materials in the regions and leaves the regional and municipal administrations with a major responsibility for financing the storage facilities. The regional parliament - the Duma - approved the law amid massive protests from environmental organizations in the region. The new legislation is believed to have potentially serious consequences for people in the far northern region. Murmansk Oblast has a number of nuclear installations, both nuclear submarines, icebreakers and the Kola NPP, all of which leaves behind lethal waste materials."

"London : Europe's largest single issue peace organisation is warning the British government against plans to use a naval dockyard base as a centre for dismantling radioactive submarines. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) has voiced concern about the safety record of Devonport dockyard in south-west England and its position in the middle of Plymouth city as being inappropriate site as a 'nuclear dumping ground.' "A city-centre location is no place to cut-up and store redundant nuclear submarines," said CND chair Kate Hudson. "The toxic legacy of these subs is a real problem, but dismantling them on a site literally a couple of hundred metres from homes and schools must not be allowed," Hudson said. "The health risks posed by a project that could continue for 60 years or more are potentially enormous, with Devonport already having a troubled history of radioactive leaks," she warned. The dockyard is already home to eight ageing nuclear submarines and plans are for another 27 to be sent there, prompting fears that one of the country's busiest naval ports is set to be turned into a nuclear scrapyard. "

"Police arrested 10 demonstrators on Monday at a nuclear arms site in southern England, where two Nobel Peace Prize winners joined hundreds of protesters, a spokesman said. Five were detained after gaining access to the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in Aldermaston, where warheads for Trident submarines are made, and five outside, said the Thames Valley police spokesman. Organisers said around 800 people joined the protests, including Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1997 for campaigning against landmines, and Mairead Maguire, who won in 1976 for her work in Northern Ireland."

"Hundreds of peace activists from across the UK will try to blockade a nuclear weapons site where warheads for the Trident submarines are made. Organisations including the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament are staging the protest at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston, Berkshire on Monday."

"THE Ministry of Defence should come clean once and for all about whether or not it plans to use the base at Machrihanish to store radioactive waste from old submarines. Alan Reid MP for Argyll and Bute has vowed to campaign to stop the waste ending up at Machrihanish or any of three other sites in Argyll and Bute and he has called on the MoD to go public. Defence Minister Quentin Davies MP has refused to reveal the sites on the secret list but has said Argyll and Bute is one of four regions being considered, along with Devon, Fife and Berkshire. 'This would appear to narrow the shortlist of sites in Argyll and Bute down to Coulport, Faslane, Glen Douglas and Machrihanish,' said Mr Reid, 'and I am disappointed that the Government is still refusing to publish its shortlist. The secrecy will only lead to speculation.' He added that all four in Argyll were unsuitable for the job."

ome work at Nuclear Fuel Services in northeast Tennessee has been suspended as the company implements a safety initiative. All the employees returned to work last week though work was curtailed in the production operations area, commercial development line and down-blending facility. The company, which employs about 800, also initiated pay cuts for salaried workers and is reviewing such cuts for others. NFS processes nuclear fuel for the country's nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers and also converts government stockpiles of highly enriched uranium into material suitable for further processing into commercial nuclear reactor fuel.

ome work at Nuclear Fuel Services in northeast Tennessee has been suspended as the company implements a safety initiative. All the employees returned to work last week though work was curtailed in the production operations area, commercial development line and down-blending facility. The company, which employs about 800, also initiated pay cuts for salaried workers and is reviewing such cuts for others. NFS processes nuclear fuel for the country's nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers and also converts government stockpiles of highly enriched uranium into material suitable for further processing into commercial nuclear reactor fuel.

After making plans for more than 20 years, the first ton of radioactive dirt will be removed from the nuclear waste dump in Parks this summer for the much anticipated 3-year, $76 million cleanup by the Army Corps of Engineers. The removal of 50,000 tons of nuclear-contaminated soil at what is officially known as the Shallow Land Disposal Area is the last vestige of the nuclear legacy from two former nuclear fuel plants in Apollo and Parks that operated from 1957 to mid-1980s. The plants, owned by the Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp. (NUMEC) and later the Atlantic Richfield Co. and Babcock & Wilcox (B&W), produced nuclear fuel for submarines and power plants as well as a range of nuclear products for the U.S. government and others. Moving on hasn't come quickly or cheaply. Lawsuits for personal injury and contamination, cleanups and government payments to contaminated workers have topped $267 million in more than two decades.

After making plans for more than 20 years, the first ton of radioactive dirt will be removed from the nuclear waste dump in Parks this summer for the much anticipated 3-year, $76 million cleanup by the Army Corps of Engineers. The removal of 50,000 tons of nuclear-contaminated soil at what is officially known as the Shallow Land Disposal Area is the last vestige of the nuclear legacy from two former nuclear fuel plants in Apollo and Parks that operated from 1957 to mid-1980s. The plants, owned by the Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp. (NUMEC) and later the Atlantic Richfield Co. and Babcock & Wilcox (B&W), produced nuclear fuel for submarines and power plants as well as a range of nuclear products for the U.S. government and others. Moving on hasn't come quickly or cheaply. Lawsuits for personal injury and contamination, cleanups and government payments to contaminated workers have topped $267 million in more than two decades.

The Zvezdochka shipyard in northern Russia said on Friday that a recent minor radioactive leak at its storage facility posed no threat to people or environment. According to a Zvezdochka statement, the "radiation incident" took place on Thursday when about two cubic meters liquid radioactive waste leaked through a seam in a pipe connecting a storage tank and a waste treatment facility. "The pipe itself is located in a leak-proof tunnel and the waste did not spill outside," the statement said, adding that the tunnel has been drained of the waste in two hours following the leak. "The radiation levels around the tunnel are normal. The causes of the leak are being investigated," the shipyard said. Severodvinsk-based Zvezdochka is Russia's biggest shipyard for repairing and dismantling nuclear-powered submarines. It has the capacity to scrap up to four nuclear submarines per year.

The Zvezdochka shipyard in northern Russia said on Friday that a recent minor radioactive leak at its storage facility posed no threat to people or environment. According to a Zvezdochka statement, the "radiation incident" took place on Thursday when about two cubic meters liquid radioactive waste leaked through a seam in a pipe connecting a storage tank and a waste treatment facility. "The pipe itself is located in a leak-proof tunnel and the waste did not spill outside," the statement said, adding that the tunnel has been drained of the waste in two hours following the leak. "The radiation levels around the tunnel are normal. The causes of the leak are being investigated," the shipyard said. Severodvinsk-based Zvezdochka is Russia's biggest shipyard for repairing and dismantling nuclear-powered submarines. It has the capacity to scrap up to four nuclear submarines per year.

Russia's Armed Forces are to receive 30 new ground and sea-launched ballistic missiles, three nuclear submarines, and an assortment of other weapons, the Russian president said on Thursday. Dmitry Medvedev said the list would also include "five Iskander [tactical] missile complexes, about 300 modern armored vehicles, 30 helicopters, 28 warplanes, one corvette-class warship, and 11 spacecraft." In his state-of-the-nation address to parliament, Medvedev stressed provision of advanced weapon systems to the military was a priority. "There is no room for debate here: These weapons simply must be procured," he said. He instructed the government to put in place an effective contract system to strike the right balance between arms manufactured for export and for domestic needs.

Russia's Armed Forces are to receive 30 new ground and sea-launched ballistic missiles, three nuclear submarines, and an assortment of other weapons, the Russian president said on Thursday. Dmitry Medvedev said the list would also include "five Iskander [tactical] missile complexes, about 300 modern armored vehicles, 30 helicopters, 28 warplanes, one corvette-class warship, and 11 spacecraft." In his state-of-the-nation address to parliament, Medvedev stressed provision of advanced weapon systems to the military was a priority. "There is no room for debate here: These weapons simply must be procured," he said. He instructed the government to put in place an effective contract system to strike the right balance between arms manufactured for export and for domestic needs.

A PLEA has been made for the Government to reveal a top-secret nuclear dumping ground situated in Argyll and Bute. MP Alan Reid has called on the defence secretary, Bob Ainsworth, to come forward and name the site where the waste - radioactive waste from decommissioned nuclear submarines - is being disposed of. It comes after revelations that at least one site on the confidential list is situated in Argyll and Bute. It was also revealed that Coulport was previously named as a possible site, but was later rejected. Mr Reid said: "Every community in Argyll and Bute is now worried that a site near them is on the secret list of sites being considered as a nuclear dump. "The Government must publish the list of sites. Publishing the list would set some people's minds at rest.

A PLEA has been made for the Government to reveal a top-secret nuclear dumping ground situated in Argyll and Bute. MP Alan Reid has called on the defence secretary, Bob Ainsworth, to come forward and name the site where the waste - radioactive waste from decommissioned nuclear submarines - is being disposed of. It comes after revelations that at least one site on the confidential list is situated in Argyll and Bute. It was also revealed that Coulport was previously named as a possible site, but was later rejected. Mr Reid said: "Every community in Argyll and Bute is now worried that a site near them is on the secret list of sites being considered as a nuclear dump. "The Government must publish the list of sites. Publishing the list would set some people's minds at rest.

CAMPAIGNERS protesting against possible plans to scrap nuclear submarines at Devonport Dockyard descended on the city for an organised protest at the weekend. Around 300 people turned out in support of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament who believe that Plymouth will be turned into a dumping ground for nuclear submarines. The rally began with a march through the city centre before speeches outside the Guildhall. The group then travelled to Devonport Park before a protest march along the dockyard wall, finishing at the site's Camels Head entrance.

CAMPAIGNERS protesting against possible plans to scrap nuclear submarines at Devonport Dockyard descended on the city for an organised protest at the weekend. Around 300 people turned out in support of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament who believe that Plymouth will be turned into a dumping ground for nuclear submarines. The rally began with a march through the city centre before speeches outside the Guildhall. The group then travelled to Devonport Park before a protest march along the dockyard wall, finishing at the site's Camels Head entrance.

A Wisconsin-based anti-nuclear publication may be going out of business as contributions are not keeping up with costs. For 30 years, Nukewatch has been an advocate of non-violent resistance against nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons for northwestern Wisconsin and northeastern Minnesota. The quarterly publication has contributed to some of the nation's largest anti-nuclear movements, including the closing of naval submarine communications base "ELF" in Clam Lake. Editor John LaForge says many non-profits are in tough financial shape. He says quite a few environmental groups have been affected recently, including Clean Water Action and Eagle both closed offices in northern Wisconsin. LaForge says the December issue may be the last one unless more contributions come in. He says closing his publication would be a loss, since people would have to go to sources of information from outside the area.

A Wisconsin-based anti-nuclear publication may be going out of business as contributions are not keeping up with costs. For 30 years, Nukewatch has been an advocate of non-violent resistance against nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons for northwestern Wisconsin and northeastern Minnesota. The quarterly publication has contributed to some of the nation's largest anti-nuclear movements, including the closing of naval submarine communications base "ELF" in Clam Lake. Editor John LaForge says many non-profits are in tough financial shape. He says quite a few environmental groups have been affected recently, including Clean Water Action and Eagle both closed offices in northern Wisconsin. LaForge says the December issue may be the last one unless more contributions come in. He says closing his publication would be a loss, since people would have to go to sources of information from outside the area.

The high alert levels for U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear forces are more political statements carried over from the Cold War than military necessities for the 21st century, according to a multinational study released last week. The two nations "could examine how measures to reduce operational readiness can accompany the bilateral arms control process" as part of the current negotiations over renewal of the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, according to the study by the EastWest Institute, a nonprofit think tank. The study, "Reframing Nuclear De-Alert: Decreasing the Operational Readiness of U.S. and Russian Nuclear Arsenals," was supported by the governments of Switzerland and New Zealand governments. The study reminds readers that the United States "keeps roughly 1,000 nuclear warheads on alert" atop 450 Minuteman III land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and on the submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) aboard as many as four Trident subs patrolling in different parts of the world.

The high alert levels for U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear forces are more political statements carried over from the Cold War than military necessities for the 21st century, according to a multinational study released last week. The two nations "could examine how measures to reduce operational readiness can accompany the bilateral arms control process" as part of the current negotiations over renewal of the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, according to the study by the EastWest Institute, a nonprofit think tank. The study, "Reframing Nuclear De-Alert: Decreasing the Operational Readiness of U.S. and Russian Nuclear Arsenals," was supported by the governments of Switzerland and New Zealand governments. The study reminds readers that the United States "keeps roughly 1,000 nuclear warheads on alert" atop 450 Minuteman III land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and on the submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) aboard as many as four Trident subs patrolling in different parts of the world.