Britain鈥檚 Environment Agency has discovered a fault in the equipment
monitoring radioactive emissions from the Atomic Weapons Establishment at
Aldermaston in Berkshire.
As a result, Aldermaston discharged 50 per cent more tritium into the
atmosphere last year than it said it had, as 1.1 terabecquerels of the
radioactive gas bypassed the detectors. Last week, the agency issued a legal
notice requiring Aldermaston to check its monitoring system. 鈥淲e take this very
seriously,鈥� said a spokesman for the plant. 鈥淗owever, the amount of tritium
discharged is less than 1 per cent of our authorisation and poses no danger to
our staff, the public or the environment.鈥�