Depleted Uranium and Dundrennan

Phil Jones

Take the coastal route to Kirkcudbright in Galloway, SW Scotland, and you'll come to the village of Dundrennan, famous as the location for cult-classic `The Wicker Man' and for its ruined abbey. Past the village you will read signs along the road warning: "Unexpected Explosions"; "Do Not Touch Military Debris It May Explode and Kill You" and "Tanks Crossing" and you'll pass flag-poles with signs stating "Do Not Enter When Red Flags are Flying". You are at the Kirkcudbright Ranges overlooking the Solway Firth at Dundrennan.

Covering 5,000 acres of beautiful coastline, the range at Dundrennan is one of two sites used by the MoD to test depleted uranium weapons, the other being Eskmeals in Cumbria, on the other side of the Solway. In February, this year, Challenger tanks fired 192 DU shells at Dundrennan prior to use in Iraq. Over 20 years since testing began 7,000 DU shells have been fired into the Solway. Only one has ever being recovered - by accident in a local trawler's nets. All efforts by the MoD to recover the radioactive munitions on the seabed have failed.

The MoD claim to currently only fire at "soft" targets, plastic or canvas hoisted on large gantries on the skyline. But in the past DU has been fired at "hard-targets", at sheets of tank armour or actual tanks. These `hard-tests' cause the most concern. When DU shells hit a hard-target they explode forming a highly resistant, radioactive and toxic DU dust that can be breathed in or swallowed causing significant health hazards to people and animals. It is not known how successful the MOD has been in clearing up contaminated target butts.

There have been some serious accidents as well. At least 93 misfirings during trials may have contaminated parts of the range. For example, in 1989 a DU shell accidentally hit a dry-stone wall resulting in contamination up to 24 times the MoD's limit. In 1982 a battle-tank blew up killing its crew and observers at the Balig Firing Point on the range. More recently, in 1994, a tank containing DU munitions exploded during a `large bomb test' scattering DU and shrapnel over a wide area. Despite advice from the MoD's own scientists that debris and contaminated soil should be cleared, the tank hulk and scattered remnants still remain.

Currently the Scottish Executive seem to have the impression that since the shells are being fired into the sea there is no environmental risk and ignore the fact that over the last twenty years accidents and misfirings have left considerable contamination of the land. Radiation levels in grass and soil samples made public in July 1993 were 'well above acceptable limits'. Crucially the ranges are not closed to the public except during trials. Much of the range is farmland used for cattle and sheep grazing and many tourists and locals walk there enjoying the beautiful scenery.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has checked the MoD's monitoring scheme is adequate but is not allowed to monitor for contamination or monitor the MoD's monitoring and has called for Crown Immunity to be lifted from the MoD to restore public confidence.

In August newspapers revealed an electromagnetic `Supergun' capable of firing shells at 7,500 mph is to be tested there on behalf of the US. Propelling a metal rod the thickness of a broom handle and a foot in length at great speed, the `Supergun' will not require high-explosives as the force with which the rod hits a target will be more than enough to destroy a tank or building.

It is possible the Supergun will be used to fire DU, which is perhaps why it is to be tested at Dundrennan. In the US all live firings of DU have to be carried out in huge `super-boxes' preventing DU dust escaping into the environment. With shells travelling at two or three miles a second it is likely that the Supergun would demolish such a facility. The US claim Dundrennan is the only place where such a weapon can be tested.