DUFERC Meetings 57 – 61

January 2011 – May 2012

Here are excerpts from the Minutes of the meetings of the Depleted Uranium Firing Environmental Review Committee which relate to the firings at at the Kirkcudbright Range, near Dundrennan, Dumfries and Galloway.

An introduction to these Minutes is here.

Acronyms:

KTA, Kirkcudbright Training Area, Ministry of Defence (MOD)

DERA, The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, established in April 1991 as part of the MOD. In July 2001, DERA was split into two organisations:

QinetiQ, a privatised commercial company, and

DSTL, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (MOD)

RO, Royal Ordnance

BNFL, British Nuclear Fuels Ltd.

EA, Environment Agency

SEPA, Scottish Environment Protection Agency

DTEO, Defence Test and Evaluation Organisation (MOD)

PLSD, Protection and Life Sciences Division (MOD)

CDA, Centre for Defence Analysis (MOD)

D SEF Pol, Directorate of Safety, Environmental and Fire Policy (MOD)

DG(Nuc), Director General (Nuclear) (MOD)

DUWG, Depleted Uranium Working Group (MOD)

Excerpts from Minutes of the 57th Meeting of the Depleted Uranium Firing Environmental Review Committee (DUFERC) on 19 January 2011

Outstanding actions 3.1 re: Action(55.1) (Redacted name) to speak to Defence Estates (DE) to clarify who is the RPA for KTA: (Redacted name) explained how this matter related to the wider issue of how MOD complies with management of health and safety regulations. With respect to KTA, there are several agencies with interest in the site, but no documented set up for RP advice for the day to day work activities. (Redacted name) has been told that the army budget allows for another 5 years of financial support for providing RPA advice to KTA from DSTL. He stressed however, that this was not a core business for the army and that the funding was therefore at risk. He also stressed the importance of technical advice from both QinetiQ and DSTL.

Full text here.

Excerpts from Minutes of the 58th Meeting of the Depleted Uranium Firing Environmental Review Committee (DUFERC) on 4 May 2011

from Actions: 3.3 (Redacted name) raised the requirement for sites to record what is coming onto and leaving the site. There must be a clear audit for DU and DU contaminated items.