SHORE (N)
From: J.E.D. Street, Esị. CH
Shore Division (N)
68
N/SHO/917/6/67
9000
724
26th October, 1967
Г
NEX
REF.
1 (69)
30.0
HW1J 2/2
Now that the recent visit of the SAVANNAH to Hong Kong has passed off without complications on the a clear monitoring side, I suggest that the time has come to take the next step in reviewing the policy on monitoring the vessel's visits which, as you know, are likely to take place at four-monthly intervals.
2. From our point of view there are two major considerations. The first is that the SAVANNAH is a merchant ship and therefore, strictly speaking, no concern of the Navy. The second is that although we are of course providing monitoring facilities in Hong Kong for the SAVANNAH on an agency basis this inevitably creates some irritation in our relations with the Americans. The fact is that visit every few months will make it very difficult for us to meet the SAVANNAH requirement as well as those of RN and USN submarines while we continue to follow present monitoring policy. Moreover, a refusal to accept SAVANNAH at Hong Kong, because of lack of monitoring facilities would rebound on Navy Department as well as on the Board of Trade; and we would wish to avoid any such difficulty in nuclear matters. From our point of view, therefore, the sooner it can be accepted by all concerned that SAVANNAH may pay future visits to Hong Kong without monitoring team being present, the better.
3. The question of our general policy in regard to the deployment of naval mobile monitering teams is of course a separate though related issue; and you will be aware that atits last meeting on 29th September the NPWSC, while giving a general welcome to the new statistical approach on radiation hazards from naval nuclear reactors, wished to be more fully satisfied about our capability to deal with accidents in ports overseas before accepting that a change of the policy hitherto adopted would be justified. Action to provide the necessary assurances in this respect is in hand and we hope that the new policy proposed may be found acceptable by the NPWSC before very long.
4.
Finally, in considering the case of SAVANNAH against the naval background, we must take into account that the reactor installation in SAVANNAH is so designed that the full consequences of an accident will develop more slowly than can be the case with sucmarine reactors. Furthermore, she has inbuilt safeguards to reduce the release to atmosphere of radioactive particles, following upon an accident, which, again, are not possible as permanencies in submarines. It is, therefore, more readily possible to tow her to a position remote from population during the development of an accident and before she has become a very serious hasard. It accordingly seems to us - and I hope you will agree t at the time
8.N. Burbridge, Esq.,
Hoard of Trace,
Surrey House,
20 Lavington Street, S.E.1.
Alto att
W
R. 318. aut 21/10
YOUNG
/has
Copy là M° Noble, Comminoreret
Relation B
28/11
Sepr.
ALG
27.
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