NC Flights carrying uranium have been taking off from Wick John O'Groats Airport at weekends

So far there have been four US Air Force flights carrying highly enriched uranium bound for South Carolina, taking off from Wick John O’Groats Airport, in Caithness, at weekends as the base is closed to civilian aircrafts on Saturdays. Dounreay, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Police Scotland, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and the airport have all refused to comment. Now the next consignment is imminent with an expected six or seven more to follow between now and September next year. However, the Highland Council has to, by law, inform the public about road closures around the airport and the order posted last week is code for “nuclear waste on the move”.

The public notice reads: “The order has been made by reason that the Council, as highway authority, is satisfied that traffic on the road should be restricted due to the likelihood of danger to the public.” The order stepped into force yesterday and will run until the end of September 2019. However, road closures are not expected to last more than five hours at a time. The deal was trumpeted by former prime minister David Cameron and ex-US president Barack Obama, arranging for highly enriched uranium – the basic building block for a nuclear bomb – to be flown from Wick to the US in return for “medical grade” uranium to make radioisotopes for detecting cancer. It led to protests from MPs, MSPs and Friends of the Earth and the outrage was stoked further when it was revealed the runway at the Scots airport was too short for the giant US Air Force C-17 Globemaster to take off with its fuel tanks full.

Instead, the plane has been rerouted to RAF Lossiemouth in Moray to top up with fuel before flying on to the US. Highlands and Islands MSP John Finnie said: “Transporting nuclear waste is a risky business. “By using two airports you are doubling the take-offs and landings in this country, which doubles the risk. “It is disturbing to discover we are now using an extra airbase in heavily populated areas for a stop-off to transport nuclear waste.”

NC The transportation of nuclear waste has led to protests