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Oil rig evacuated after ship carrying radioactive waste drifts | Oil rig evacuated after ship carrying radioactive waste drifts |
(about 1 hour later) | |
An oil platform has been evacuated after a ship carrying radioactive material caught fire and began drifting in the Moray Firth. | An oil platform has been evacuated after a ship carrying radioactive material caught fire and began drifting in the Moray Firth. |
The Parida was transporting a cargo of concreted radioactive waste when a fire broke out in one of its two funnels. | The Parida was transporting a cargo of concreted radioactive waste when a fire broke out in one of its two funnels. |
The blaze has been extinguished, but 52 workers were taken from the Beatrice platform by helicopter as a precaution. | The blaze has been extinguished, but 52 workers were taken from the Beatrice platform by helicopter as a precaution. |
Aberdeen coastguard said the ship was under tow and was heading to the Cromarty Firth to secure anchor. | Aberdeen coastguard said the ship was under tow and was heading to the Cromarty Firth to secure anchor. |
The 15 crew members of the Parida, who were unharmed during the incident, will decide later whether to attempt to restart the engine. | |
Ministers said the Scottish government was "closely monitoring" the incident. | Ministers said the Scottish government was "closely monitoring" the incident. |
Dounreay Site Restoration Limited has confirmed the waste was from Dounreay, an experimental nuclear power plant near Thurso which is being decommissioned. | Dounreay Site Restoration Limited has confirmed the waste was from Dounreay, an experimental nuclear power plant near Thurso which is being decommissioned. |
The material, which was sent to Dounreay from Belgium for reprocessing in the 1990s, was being shipped back to Belgium. | The material, which was sent to Dounreay from Belgium for reprocessing in the 1990s, was being shipped back to Belgium. |
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) said the Parida was carrying two containers called flasks each holding three 500-litre drums of intermediate level waste. | |
The NDA said the ship and its cargo had been categorised at the lowest level of safety concern. | |
It described Tuesday night's event as a "marine incident and not a nuclear incident". | |
The coastguard were alerted at about 20:00 on Tuesday as the Danish registered Parida was taking a cargo of radioactive concrete from Scrabster to Antwerp in Belgium. | The coastguard were alerted at about 20:00 on Tuesday as the Danish registered Parida was taking a cargo of radioactive concrete from Scrabster to Antwerp in Belgium. |
The platform staff were flown to RAF Lossiemouth shortly before midnight. Parida was about seven miles from the Moray Firth platform at the time. | The platform staff were flown to RAF Lossiemouth shortly before midnight. Parida was about seven miles from the Moray Firth platform at the time. |
Dounreay's nuclear waste | Dounreay's nuclear waste |
A Shetland Coastguard spokesman said: "The Parida is now under tow by the vessel Pacific Champion. | A Shetland Coastguard spokesman said: "The Parida is now under tow by the vessel Pacific Champion. |
"The coastguard emergency towing vessel from Orkney was tasked to go and prevent the Parida from drifting but before the coastguard vessel arrived on scene the owners agreed a commercial tow with Pacific Champion." | "The coastguard emergency towing vessel from Orkney was tasked to go and prevent the Parida from drifting but before the coastguard vessel arrived on scene the owners agreed a commercial tow with Pacific Champion." |
Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said the Scottish government was "closely monitoring" the incident. | Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said the Scottish government was "closely monitoring" the incident. |
He said: "Most people, like me, may not be comfortable with the idea of a vessel carrying nuclear waste waiting for a weather window to sail through our waters. | He said: "Most people, like me, may not be comfortable with the idea of a vessel carrying nuclear waste waiting for a weather window to sail through our waters. |
"While these vessels are built to cope with extreme weather, if they break down they drift and that is a fact we have to think about here. | "While these vessels are built to cope with extreme weather, if they break down they drift and that is a fact we have to think about here. |
"It is a serious incident and I think we need to review how we regulate the transportation of nuclear waste in our waters. That is the responsibility of the Office of Nuclear Regulation and I will be speaking to UK ministers about it." | "It is a serious incident and I think we need to review how we regulate the transportation of nuclear waste in our waters. That is the responsibility of the Office of Nuclear Regulation and I will be speaking to UK ministers about it." |