The Royal Navy are being pressed to admit why they concealed detail of a pollution incident involving a nuclear submarine for several days thereby putting the public at risk (see below).
"The Chief Officer Policy Secretariat CINCFLEET HEADQUARTERS Room 272 West Battery Whale Island Portsmouth PO2 8DX
11 November 2008
Dear Sir,
Ref: Pollution Incident HMS Trafalgar - 2008-11-19
Can you explain why there was a breakdown in communications when news about a leakage of several hundred litres of toxic coolant fluid from the RN submarine HMS Trafalgar into the River Tamar was not passed on to the relevant local authorities for several days?
Do the Royal Navy not accept that there is a duty of care on their part towards the civil population who live in and around their naval facilities to alert them to potential hazard caused by your operations?
Is there no accord or protocol in place which requires you to make a local authority and the civil population aware of serious pollution incidents which may impact on the environment you share with them?
Do the MOD and Royal Navy not understand the enormity of a pollution incident involving a nuclear powered vessel and the need to alert the civil population to any danger posed as soon as possible?
Have there been any other undisclosed leakages of fuel oil or coolant from Royal Navy submarines in recent years?
Is any disciplinary action planned as a result of the incident?
Yours sincerely
J B Moffatt Director of Information
cc Secretary of State for Defence - Rt Hon John Hutton MP"
Related article on Celtic News at:
J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
19/11/08