Posted on 9-7-2002

Plutonium Ships Heading For Rocks?

Auckland, New Zealand, 8 July 2002: The grounding of the British destroyer
HMS Nottingham, which is rumoured to be in the Tasman to escort the
plutonium ships, only highlights how irresponsible and dangerous this whole
transport is, Greenpeace said today. “Shipments of plutonium will be in the
Tasman Sea within two weeks and in the last week bad weather has grounded
the HMS Nottingham and devastated the Federated States of Micronesia, said
Bunny McDiarmid, Greenpeace Nuclear spokesperson. “You have to seriously
wonder if those who are making the decision to send these ships through
this region in the middle of winter know what they are doing.”

Parts of the route planned for the plutonium shipments are officially
classified as Marine High Risk Areas by Lloyds of London. “The shipment is
dangerous enough on its own let alone adding risk by sending it through the
southern seas in winter,” said McDiarmid.

Questions have also been raised on why the HMS Nottingham is in this region
in the first place. UK Channel 4 News has speculated that she is there to
protect the plutonium shipments from terrorist attacks. “There have been
rumours running for the last few months that the shipment of reject
plutonium, carrying 255 kgs of weapons-usable material would have an
additional escort that would not be part of the public plan,” said
McDiarmid. “Clearly those making the shipment recognise what a security
risk this shipment is”.

The HMS Nottingham ran aground off Lord Howe in the mid-Tasman, 300 miles
north east of Sydney yesterday, near where the Pacific Flotilla will
converge. Only last week an oil tanker also grounded off the coast of Fiji.