Scotland is “wholly unprepared” to deal with an accident or an attack on the nuclear bomb convoys that regularly travel across the country, according to a new report. Local authorities are accused of breaching their legal duty to safeguard the public by failing to assess and warn of the dangers. Scottish Ministers are under fire for failing to make councils comply. Campaigners are demanding an urgent review of measures to protect people from radioactive contamination from convoy crashes. They say that an accident could spread plutonium and other toxic materials over miles. Anti-nuclear groups have previously attacked the UK government for failing to ensure the safety of nuclear weapons transports. But now they are targeting Scottish central and local government for not doing enough. According to the nuclear-free group of local authorities (NFLA), the report showed there was “confusion” over the response to convoy accidents. One problem was that councils weren’t informed of convoy movements, it argued. “There needs to be a wider rethink about such convoys and greater cooperation with all emergency responders, including councils, so that the risks to the public can be fully unpacked and considered,” said NFLA Scotland representative, Audrey Doig, an SNP councillor from Renfrewshire.
Herald 20th Aug 2017 http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15483954.No_safety_assessments_carried_out_for_nuclear_convoys_in_Scotland/
