nuclear sites

As a public service, NIS monitors and reports on non-sensitive developments at and about British nuclear weapons production related sites.

NIS publishes material relating to the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston and Burghfield sites, located in the southern English County of West Berkshire. Since the 1950s, AWE is where the design, production, assembly, maintenance, disassembly and decommissioning of nuclear weapons takes place. Between 2004 and 2015, building developments are underway to enable a new generation of warheads to be researched and designed without underground nuclear testing. See monthly NIS Updates on the new developments at AWE.

Other nuclear weapons related sites include the Clyde facilties at RNAD Coulport and the Naval Base Faslane; RRMPOL Derby and DML Devonport. All these sites creat nuclear discharges and waste.

Nuclear Information Service

Ibex House
85 Southampton Street
Reading
RG1 2QU
United Kingdom

Tel / fax: 0118 327 7489
email: office(at)nuclearinfo.org

Forthcoming events

Nagasaki Day Lecture

Dr Christopher Gerteis, Lecturer in the History of Contemporary Japan at SOAS, will be talking about life in Hiroshima and Hagasaki before and after the atomic bombings of August 1945.

The lecture will examine artefacts on display at the exhibition 'After the Bomb Dropped: How Hiroshima and Nagasaki Suffered' at Friends House, London.

7 - 8.30 pm, Monday 9 August 2010

Room 7, Friends House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ

Exhibition open 10 am - 5.30 pm daily, 2 - 12 August. Admission free.

latest tweet from NIS:

New VERTIC report 'Verifying warhead dismantlement: past, present, future' on UK Norway Initiative now available at http://bit.ly/9ntRdv

latest on Peter Burt's blog

NIS calls for independent inquiry into Aldermaston fire
Safety questions unanswered for AWE's Project Hydrus
A street survey shows that 61% of local people are opposed to AWE's Project Pegasus.
Council accused of sneaking through nuclear plans during Christmas rush.
Aldermaston's £500 million new uranium project - read our special briefing.
New AWE emergency plan highlights chilling consequences of a nuclear accident
Emergency services could not cope with Southampton nuclear submarine accident
Nuclear submarine waste bound for AWE?
MOD Stops Live Nuclear Work at AWE due to preasure from NII over safety risks..
2008 Annual Report released by NIS.
A New Film Exposes Deadly Cargo on British Roads..

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Questions asked about asbestos risks following nuclear factory fire
2010-08-22 16:56

The Nuclear Information Service (NIS) has written to the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) to ask what precautions have been taken to protect the public from a suspected release of asbestos following a fire at AWE Aldermaston earlier this month.

AWE's public statements at the time of the fire stressed that the incident led to no release of radioactive material, but made no mention of potential risks from asbestos. News of the problem only came to light through a report in a national Sunday newspaper, which reported that the fire had resulted in asbestos contamination at AWE Aldermaston.
... more
Safety questions unanswered for planned nuclear research facility at AWE Aldermaston
2010-08-17 00:01

Information about the safety and environmental risks posed by a new nuclear weapons research facility which is to be built at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston should be released to the public, according to the Nuclear Information Service (NIS).

NIS is concerned that excessive secrecy surrounds proposals to build 'Project Hydrus', a new hydrodynamics research facility at AWE Aldermaston, where warheads for the UK's Trident nuclear weapons system are manufactured. A planning application for the new facility was submitted to West Berkshire Council last month.

Key information about Project Hydrus, its impacts, and the risks it poses has been withheld from the public by the Ministry of Defence, which claims that releasing such information into the public domain would be “contrary to the interests of national defence”.
NIS has published a detailed briefing about the planned new facility and the MoD's justification for withholding the information, released under the Freedom of Information Act. ... more
NIS calls for independent inquiry into fire at Atomic Weapons Establishment
2010-08-04 09:10
The Nuclear Information Service (NIS) has written to the Health and Safety Executive calling for an independent inquiry into the recent fire at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston.

According to a report from the BBC a fire broke out in a building within the explosives area of the site late in the evening on 3rd August. AWE has stated that there were “no radiological implications” as a result of the fire, but a number of local residents were evacuated from their homes to overnight hotel accommodation.

AWE report that one member of staff was injured in the blaze, and road closures in the area following the fire caused traffic chaos during the Wednesday morning rush-hour.
... more
NIS calls for independent inquiry into fire at Atomic Weapons Establishment
2010-08-04 09:10
The Nuclear Information Service (NIS) has written to the Health and Safety Executive calling for an independent inquiry into the recent fire at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston.

According to a report from the BBC a fire broke out in a building within the explosives area of the site late in the evening on 3rd August. AWE has stated that there were “no radiological implications” as a result of the fire, but a number of local residents were evacuated from their homes to overnight hotel accommodation.

AWE report that one member of staff was injured in the blaze, and road closures in the area following the fire caused traffic chaos during the Wednesday morning rush-hour.
... more
Planning application submitted for new hydrodynamics research facility at AWE
2010-07-21 11:41
The Ministry of Defence has this week submitted a planning application to West Berkshire Council for development of a new hydrodynamics research facility (Project Hydrus) at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston.

The new facility will be designed to undertake research into materials used in the manufacture of nuclear warheads and will play a key role in ensuring that Trident warheads retain their destructive power as they age. It will also undertake research necessary for the design of a successor to the Trident warhead, should the government decide to develop one.

The application was previously scheduled to be submitted in March 2010, but has been delayed as a result of the general election and the need to obtain ministerial approval for the development.

West Berkshire Council is aiming to make a decision on the planning application within 13 weeks. A target date of 15 October 2010 has been set for determining the application, which is expected to be discussed at the Council's Eastern Area Planning Committee meeting on 29th September 2010. Full details of the application can be
found on West Berkshire Council's planning applications webpage. ... more
Public pay five million pound bill for flood damage at UK's nuclear weapons factory
2010-07-05 10:16

Taxpayers have been dumped with a five million pound bill to cover the costs of serious flooding at Britain's privately-run nuclear warhead factory, according to an official answer to a Parliamentary Question asked by Green Party MP Caroline Lucas. ... more
1400 objectors, 0 supporters: West Berkshire Council grants planning permission to AWE
2010-02-10 23:42

Despite receiving over 1400 letters of objection, West Berkshire Council has decided to grant planning permission to the Atomic Weapons Establishment for a new Enriched Uranium Facility
... more