Report finds nuclear risks in Britain

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LONDON, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- A report by a defense agency overseeing nuclear safety in Britain says there are 11 sites that pose a risk to the public.

The danger zones include nuclear weapons sites and the two places where nuclear subs no longer in use are docked, nine at Devonport in Plymouth and seven at Rosyth on the Firth of Forth in Scotland, The Guardian reports. The report by Rear Adm. Nigel Guild, chairman of the defense nuclear environment and safety board, is restricted, but the newspaper said it had been allowed to look at Ministry of Defense documents.

Guild said no money has been allocated to decommission the nuclear submarines. The report, which covers 2006 and 2007, identified 11 sites, including Devonport and Rosyth, where there are "potentially serious risks" -- as well as Aldermaston and Burghfield, the nuclear weapons factories, and nuclear submarines near Glasgow.

Budget cuts were already hurting nuclear safety before the new government began slashing government spending, the report said.

"Often, in government, the management approach is to first impose a reduction in resource, and only then to assess its implications," Guild said.