New Internationalist on Nuclear Weapons

‘graveyard’ for retired ones. Twelve out of the 16 decommissioned
submarines at Devonport are still carrying their fuel – effectively a
stockpile of nuclear waste. Over the last 30 years, at least 10 serious
radioactive leaks have been documented at Devonport, and chemicals like
plutonium, americium and tritium have been found on the Plymouth coastline,
including at a wildlife reserve close to the dockyard. Tony Staunton, who
is also the vice chair of the Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament (CND,) says
he has met former dockworkers with cancer who are convinced that their
illnesses date back to the time they worked at Devonport, but a ‘culture
of secrecy’ about any negative impact of the docks pervades over this
military city. Local authorities have taken steps to prepare for a serious
radiation leak at the dockyard, which is within a residential area. An
investigation by Declassified UK found that in 2018 the Ministry of Defence
distributed 60,900 iodine tablets to schools, emergency services and
healthcare settings in local areas. Nuclear-powered submarines are not only
able to carry warheads; they are an essential part of the nuclear warfare
infrastructure. And, as the British government jumps with both feet into
the nuclear arms race, Devonport is key. The facility is set to receive
£4.4 billion (just over $5 billion) in government investment over the next
10 years. Nearly all of the nine nuclear-armed states (US, Russia, Britain,
France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan, North Korea) have been busy
modernizing and growing their arsenal. Over the past five years global
spending on nuclear weapons increased by just over 32 per cent, with the US
and UK’s spending rising by 45 and 43 per cent respectively between 2019
and 2023. One year of global nuclear weapons spending could feed 45 million
people in danger of famine for 13 years.

New Internationalist (accessed) 16th Dec 2025

https://newint.org/arms/2025/nuclear-flashpoints-fallout