Radioactive Leaks From Faslane Nuclear Submarine Base

EDM number 1442 in 2008-09, proposed by Jeremy Corbyn on 06/05/2009.
Categorised under the topics of Armed forces and Nuclear power.

That this House is deeply disturbed at the revelations of at least eight liquid radioactive leaks into the sea loch over the past 10 years from radioactive waste storage facilities at HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane, near Glasgow, the home port for British nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed submarines, made public on 27 April 2009 following an investigation carried out by Channel Four News and investigative reporter Rob Edwards; notes with alarm that these latest leaks bring the total number of leaks acknowledged at Faslane over the last three decades to more than 40; welcomes the release of around 400 pages of internal e-mails, letters and reports by the environmental regulator, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA); further notes with concern that one of SEPA's internal reports indicates that many of the ageing facilities used to process, store and dispose of radioactive waste at Faslane are `not fit for purpose'; further notes that the Ministry of Defence has admitted its facilities fail to meet modern safety standards requiring that the `best practicable means' are used to minimise and control waste; further notes SEPA is pressing for the legal power to inspect and control Faslane's nuclear operations; therefore calls upon the Ministry of Defence to urgently tighten safety standards at Faslane, and to evaluate the future environmental hazards to those living around the River Clyde, from Faslane; and calls upon the Government to consider urgently the benefits to the economy and the environment of abolishing Britain's current nuclear weapons, including the planned £76 billion Trident replacement.

This motion has been signed by a total of 32 MPs, 1 of these signatures have been withdrawn.