THE nuclear weapons factory at Aldermaston is creating a dangerous
legacy of radioactive waste, according to a former director.
Mr Peter Jones, who ran the Atomic Weapons Establishment from 1982 to
1987, is also concerned that production of the next generation of
Trident warheads is going ahead in buildings which are more than 30
years' old and might not be able to contain a bad leak.
He told tonight's Panorama programme on BBC1 that he was worried about
facilities at the Berkshire plant -- run by private contractors since
April -- which dated back to the early days of the nuclear age.
''There is an accumulation of buildings and equipment, radioactive
materials, which you're unable to get rid of,'' he said.
''It is a highly undesirable legacy for the nuclear industry to leave.
It's something with many thousands of years of potential risk in it.
It's not a safe thing to leave.''
Mr Jones, who is still a Ministry of Defence consultant, said some of
the old buildings being used for the production of Trident warheads
could not safely contain a serious radioactive leak.
A safer production complex had been planned for the Trident work but
it remains unfinished 10 years after construction began, says Panorama.
The claims come less than five months after a Greenpeace report said
Aldermaston had an ''appalling safety record''.
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