AWE Aldermaston placed in regulatory measures for fourth year in a row
Company's Burghfield site also placed under special safety measures this year
AWE Aldermaston has been placed under special regulatory measures for the fourth year in a row.
And the company’s Burghfield site has also been placed under special safety measures this year.
AWE’s Burghfield and Aldermaston sites, where Britain’s nuclear deterrent, Trident, is manufactured and maintained, are both listed as safety priorities in a recent annual report published by Government watchdog the Office for Nuclear Regulations (ONR).
There are 36 nuclear sites in the UK and AWE’s Aldermaston and Burghfield sites are among seven earmarked for an ‘enhanced level’ of regulation from ONR over the next year, due to shortages of skilled personnel, ageing plant and delays in building new facilities.
AWE Aldermaston was first placed under special measures by ONR in 2013, originally for two years, but this was extended, after AWE plc, the company operating the site on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, had not met the ONR’s requirements, according to Reading-based watchdog, the Nuclear Information Service (NIS).
AWE’s Aldermaston site is currently the subject of an enforcement notice dished out by ONR for failings over radioactive waste management.
NIS spokesman David Cullen, said: “The fact that AWE Aldermaston has been under special measures for twice as long as originally intended shows that the company running AWE are simply not up to the job of running the site to meet the standards the regulator and the public expect.”
Mr Cullen said the MoD had reviewed AWE’s contract earlier this year, but AWE plc was allowed to remain in charge, in the interests of keeping costs low, rather than improving public safety.
Despite £1bn taxpayers’ money being spent each year at AWE, according to NIS, the cash had gone on developing more powerful weapons of mass destruction, rather than on improving safety.
In response, AWE issued a statement in which Paul Ress, the company’s head of environment, safety and health, said: “The [ONR] report recognises that, while it continues to rely on ageing facilities, AWE is undertaking periodic reviews of safety and engaging in a large and complex capital projects programme.”
He said that AWE aimed to continuously improve on all aspects of its operations and processes, including safety
“Delivering safe and secure operations remains the core priority for AWE, as is continuous improvement in environmental performance,” he said.
“This includes an enduring commitment to manage our waste in a safe and compliant manner.”
He said AWE was making good progress towards a long-term strategy to manage its higher activity waste, and since 2011 has been working with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and other nuclear site licence companies to find solutions for the waste, while collaborating with the ONR and other regulators.
