Eight of these obsolete submarines still contain fuelled nuclear reactors, with a further four having had their reactors removed. There are 12 old nuclear-powered submarines docked afloat at Devonport (with a further seven at Rosyth in Scotland). Here I cover the background to several accidents involving submarine nuclear reactors, how the risks are assessed and managed by the navy and private contractors, and future plans for the radioactive materials. In recent decades, it has become the place where Britain’s nuclear-powered submarines come for maintenance, refuelling, refitting and dismantling. The Royal Navy has been operating out of Devonport naval base, next to the city of Plymouth (known officially as HMNB Devonport), for over 300 years. This site provides information on the Hanford program and other Washington state Nuclear Waste programs.Dr Philip Webber, SGR, highlights a range of significant health, safety and environmental risks arising at the Devonport naval base from the storage of several aged nuclear submarines and a recent major submarine refit.Īrticle from SGR Newsletter no.45 online publication: 24 February 2017 State of Washington, Department of Ecology This webpage provides information on transport of decommissioned Naval nuclear reactors. Washington State’s Department of Ecology, Nuclear Waste Program works to oversee all Hanford nuclear waste activities. Oregon’s Department of Energy works with the Navy to ensure the safe passage of barges carrying nuclear waste.

This webpage provides information on Superfund’s community involvement. Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund program takes to clean up contaminated sites. This site provides links that define the steps the U.S. The EPA, the DOE, and the State of Washington developed an action plan addressing Superfund and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) issues at the Hanford site. Hanford, Washington, where contaminated nuclear vessel parts are housed, is a Superfund site. The EPA’s Superfund program is the federal government's hazardous waste cleanup program. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Superfund Program They are eventually cut up and the various metals are recycled.įor more information about the Naval Reactors Facility, please visit the Naval Nuclear Laboratory’s website.įor more information about submarines and aircraft carriers (surface ships), please visit the U.S. After the vessel's hazardous materials are properly removed and disposed of, the ships are stored at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. The nuclear reactor compartments are cut out, carefully sealed and taken to an approved disposal site. The nuclear fuel is removed from the reactor and sent to the Naval Reactors Facility in Idaho for processing. The Navy is in charge of proper disposal of nuclear vessels that are no longer used. The Navy operates all nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers. Department of Defense (DOD), United States Navy There is no reason civilians should ever encounter any exposure risk from nuclear submarines or the disposal sites that store the dismantled reactor compartments. Radiation safeguards for nuclear vessels are extremely thorough and strict. The people working inside of the safety zone are trained professionals who are educated in safety procedures and potential hazards. These zones limit public access to hazardous materials.

Safety zones are often established around contaminated sites. These contaminated reactor parts are stored in specially designed waste storage cells. The Department of Energy (DOE) disposes of some types of contaminated reactor parts from nuclear vessels at the Hanford facility in Washington State. These limits are in place to protect workers, the public and the environment while shipping and managing the reactor compartments and components. Radiation levels must not exceed DOT limits. The Navy must comply with Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations when shipping the reactor compartments. The Coast Guard may periodically inspect the barges. During shipment, the Coast Guard or the Navy will provide an escort vessel to ensure the security of the barge. When submarine and aircraft carrier nuclear reactors are no longer being used, the compartments are shipped to the final disposal site on barges. When the nuclear reactors used to power submarines and aircraft carriers are disposed of, the Department of Defense maintains and monitors the radioactive parts. The USS Carl Vinson, an aircraft carrier powered by two nuclear reactors, is docked near San Diego, California.

Nuclear submarine