Plutonium dioxide shipment advertised, come and get it.

"The UK is shipping plutonium dioxide from Sellafield, Cumbria, to France this week using a converted roll-on, roll-off ferry -- What could possibly go wrong?" (The Register)

The powder will be driven in French lorries from Sellafield to a local dock and then aboard the ship. The vessel will carry security staff from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. The cruise is being organised by the UK's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

The Atlantic Osprey is a single-engined ship and will travel with an armed escort.

The exact date is being kept secret on security grounds, but is expected in the next few days. Spokesmen for both Lib Dems and Tories expressed concern at the shipments. Anyone who's taken a look out of the window today at the gale-lashed UK will also be pretty concerned about the prospect.

Protest group Cumbrians Opposed to a Radioactive Environment (CORE) warned that the cargo was an attractive target for terrorists.

Core spokesman Martin Forwood said: "The shipment from Sellafield will contain enough plutonium to make a large number of such devices and it is plain stupid that, given this and other warnings in recent years, the Government and industry are still prepared to put us at risk with their cavalier attitude to security and public safety."

The group warned that previous shipments of plutonium powder had full military escorts.

The ship in question is rated INF 2 - the second of three possible classifications.

My question is, WHY was this advertised in the media? Yes, I'm printing it here, but it's been all over the media and internet already. I'm not revealing any secrets.

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Trackposted to Debbie Lee on A NEWT ONE!, Rosemary's Thoughts, Faultline USA, DragonLady's World, Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Leaning Straight Up, , Right Voices, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Comments

[MK]

It's a valid question Debbie. But then much of what goes on in England would appear strange to most sane people.

[Rosemary]

Um...could it be that they've finally woken to the fact we are at war (and so are they), and they are trying to pull of a blitz? What do I mean? By announcing this, others will look there. At the same time, they can go a different way, watch them, and catch them!

Hey, I can have pipe dreams, can't I? ;)