Oldbury
AFTER four decades Oldbury Power Station has taken its last ever delivery of nuclear fuel. The fuel was delivered last week from Springfields, near Preston, and marks a significant milestone in the site’s lifecycle. In eight months time it is expected that Oldbury Power Station will stop generating power. Both Reactor One and Two are due to stop in June 2011, however, bosses at the site think that enough fuel will be left to fuel one reactor past the deadline well into 2012.
Gloucestershire Gazette 23rd Oct 2010 more >>
Nuclear Weapons
Bill Clinton lost the nuclear launch codes – for several months – during his time as US President, a new book claims. General Hugh Shelton, Clinton’s most senior military man, claims the card bearing the top secret codes went missing in 2000.
Sunday Mercury 24th Oct 2010 more >>
Submarine
An advanced nuclear submarine, described as the stealthiest ever built and packed with state of the art navigation equipment, will be checked for damage today after running aground. The £1.2billion HMS Astute’s rudder got stuck in mud and shingle off the Isle of Skye after venturing into the entrance of a shallow bay to take crew aboard. The Royal Navy super-sub’s rudder was left high and dry, languishing under the bemused gaze of locals as red-faced top brass waited anxiously for the tide to rise so she could be freed.
Earlier yesterday, a tourist boat even began running trips out to see her as crowds gathered to marvel at the hi-tech wonder.
Daily Mail 23rd Oct 2010 more >>
Carlisle News & Star 23rd Oct 2010 more >>
Fears are growing for the future of a nuclear emergency co-ordination centre in Scotland that helps deal with the aftermath of submarine accidents such as that off the Isle of Skye on Friday. Staff at the Clyde Off-Site Centre near Rhu on Gareloch, a few miles south of the Faslane naval base, have been told that it is facing closure. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) insisted no final decision had been taken. Critics claim that the closure of the centre to save money could lead to gaps in the emergency precautions meant to protect Scotland from radiation leaks. This was denied by the MoD.
Sunday Herald 24th Oct 2010 more >>
Climate
One of Britain’s top green gurus has attacked Scotland for its “addiction” to the oil and coal industries which he says threaten to tip the world into catastrophic climate chaos. Jonathon Porritt, a former high-level government adviser and a star of the environment world, has condemned the Scottish Government for backing new oil and coal developments which will produce huge amounts of climate pollution. Prolonging the future of last century’s dirty industries at the same time as promising to combat climate change was “cognitive dissonance on a massive scale”, he told the Sunday Herald. He also criticised Scottish ministers for backing a new coal-fired power station at Hunterston in North Ayrshire. The proposal is “completely and utterly crazy” and “ludicrous”, he said. Scotland’s two environmental bodies have warned plans for the new power station, which will provide electricity to up to three million homes, would result in significant damage to important nature sites and air quality in the area. Scottish Natural Heritage said a site of special scientific interest would be lost, while the Scottish Environment Protection Agency raised concerns about the impact on air quality and the marine environment.
Sunday Herald 24th Oct 2010 more >>
