Tadley councillors concerns following AWE fire

Revised off-site emergency planning procedures in pipeline, following review

TADLEY councillors have raised concerns about a lack of communication immediately following a fire at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston last August.

Revised off-site emergency planning procedures are in the pipeline, following a review of procedures undertaken after the fire which broke out in a non-nuclear explosives building and resulted in residents in the surrounding roads being evacuated from their homes overnight as a 600m cordon was put up around the affected area.

Sixty-three firefighters battled the blaze for four hours and one staff member needed medical treatment for burns to their arms and face.

Invited to speak at Tadley Town Council's April 4 annual meeting was site director of AWE Aldermaston and Burghfield, Steve Fussey, who told Tadley town and borough councillors that the fire, in a non-nuclear explosives area of AWE, which designs, builds and assembles Britain's nuclear missiles, had proved a “culture shock”.

“We have had a very deep review. We took it very seriously,” said Mr Fussey.

Tadley town and borough councillor, David Leeks, said there were traffic problems all around the site at the time of the fire: “If there had been a bigger incident, it would have prohibited the emergency vehicles going through,” he added.

Tadley town councillor, Warwick Lovegrove, said Reading firefighters arrived, only to be told to wait at AWE's main gate.

Mr Fussey said AWE's own firefighters were on site “very, very quickly” to deal with the fire and were shortly followed by Royal Berkshire firefighters.

He added that he was “not aware” of any particular issue involving Reading firefighters being told to wait at AWE's main gate, but said he would look into into it.

Tadley town councillor, John Moss, said Tadley Town Council ought to have been one of the first to be notified about the fire, as the majority of people living near the AWE lived in Tadley.

Concluding, Mr Fussey said AWE hoped to publish a report on the findings following the fire very soon and that this had been delayed due to a lengthy process involving the Environment Agency and Health and Safety Executive.

Copies of an April 2011 paper, published by West Berkshire Council's AWE off-site planning group, were distributed at the meeting.

The group details procedures for emergency services, including fire and police,local authorities, primary care trusts, the Met Office, Environment Agency and others, in the event of an incident at AWE's sites in Aldermaston, or Burghfield. However the paper stated that the off-site plan was not activated following the fire at the AWE because it was classed as a “non radiation” event. Revised off-site plans are to be expanded to include such non radiation events, which occur on the site but may have an effect outside the site boundary.

Lessons identified from Japan after reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi were severely damaged just over a month ago after a massive earthquake and tsunami struck the area, which could improve responses in the UK to off-site incidents, are also likely to be included.

A final, full report on the revised plans is due out in mid April, to be made publicly available in late May/June.