North East MSP Christian Allard is urging Westminster to devolve powers to enable the Scottish Government to regulate the transportation of nuclear waste on Scottish land and sea. The call comes following a blaze on a cargo ship carrying radioactive nuclear waste which resulted in the evacuation of a North Sea oil platform.
Danish ship MV Parida was carrying nuclear waste when it caught fire and began drifting in the Moray Firth this week (Tuesday 7 October).
The Danish registered ship was transporting six cemented drums of radioactive nuclear waste from Scrabster to Antwerp in Belgium when a fire broke out in one of her two funnels. The ship began drifting in the Moray
Firth.
As a precaution, 52 workers from the Beatrice oil platform in the North Sea were evacuated.
Radiation and containment monitoring has been carried out on the vessel and it has been confirmed there is no risk to the public or the environment
SNP MSP Christian Allard said:
“This incident is a sobering reminder that the Scottish Government does not have control over the transportation of radioactive waste or what happens with ships in incidents like this that occur in Scottish waters.
“Thankfully risk to the public and the environment has been avoided in this case but serious questions must be asked of how the incident occurred.
“In the week when Westminster has decided to build a new nuclear power station at the staggering cost of £24.5billion on top of its commitment to the irrational and costly renewal of Trident nuclear weapons system, it is quite clear that the priorities of the London parties are at odds with the priorities of the people of Scotland
“I urge Westminster to devolve powers that would give the Scottish Parliament control over these issues and I encourage anyone who feels the same to make their views known to the Smith Commission.”
Chair of Aberdeen and District Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Jonathan Russell added:
“The incident with the Danish Ship MV Parida is of considerable concern and suggests that regulation needs to be tightened.
“The incident was of particular worry to the people living nearby and would suggest that the regulation of the transportation of nuclear waste would be much better dealt with at a Scottish level.”
The Smith Commission has been tasked with agreeing more powers for the Scottish Parliament, following the result of the referendum on Scottish Independence. To make sure the Scottish Parliament is granted control over these and other important matters you can send your comments direct to: haveyoursay@smith-commission.scot.
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Simply unbelievable! There are a number of extremely serious concerns and issues raised by this incident but what on earth prompts an individual to react instinctively by demanding that, first and foremost, the most important thing is that such matters must be transferred to Holyrood on an urgent basis?
Lest we forget, we live on a relatively small island. Depending on the whereabouts of any such vessel, the merest change in wind direction might determine whether it would be in Scottish waters, Norwegian waters, Irish waters or, god forbid, in the waters of the dastardly Westminster elite who would surely evoke the spirit of Drake, Nelson and Farage by immediately implementing a naval blockade.
The most important thing, surely, is that the UK and it’s neighbours are properly equipped and prepared to deal with such incidents and that they cooperate in a unified fashion to minimise any risk. The last thing anyone needs is political posturing and opportunism.