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Oil rig evacuated after ship carrying radioactive waste drifts | Oil rig evacuated after ship carrying radioactive waste drifts |
(about 2 hours 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 MV Parida was transporting a cargo of cemented radioactive waste when a fire broke out in a funnel. | |
The blaze was extinguished, but 52 workers were taken from the Beatrice platform by helicopter as a precaution. | |
The ship has been towed to an anchorage outside the entrance to the Cromarty Firth. | |
Its 15 crew were not harmed during the fire and it was understood the cargo was not damaged. | |
'Closely monitoring' | |
Police Scotland has taken responsibility for the Parida while it is anchored near headland known as the Sutors. | |
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 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. | 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". | 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 |
The BBC Scotland news website's Highlands and Islands reporter Steven McKenzie has been looking at how Dounreay's toxic leftovers are being handled. | |
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." |
WWF Scotland, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and SNP MSP Rob Gibson have raised concerns about radioactive waste being transported by sea. |