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    Committee on Hazardous Wrecks comprised Experts from MOD and Home Office,Health and Safety Executive, Port of London Authority and Medway Ports thatmet annually but disbanded by the government in 1983

    DfT never employed an expert in explosives and munitions to expertly consider advice itcommissioned or was offerede.g. DERA in their report of 1997 or given by others, including e.g. me

    Theresa Crossley claimed defining a safe zone, if the wreck exploded, would be theresponsibility of the national and local civil authority contingency framework.These would include the Chief Constables of Kent, Essex and the Metropolitan PoliceBut they deny such responsibility, even as a possible target of a terrorist attack

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    Explosives Substances Act 1883 Section 2

    Action falls within this subsection if it;-

    (a) involves serious violence against a person,

    (b) involves serious damage to property, (c) endangers a person's life, other than that of the person committing the action, (d) creates a serious risk to the health or safety of the public or a section of the

    public

    Terrorism Acts 2000 - 2006

    Duty of Care in tort Common Law

    UK 1998 Human Rights Act Article 2 "The right to life"

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    The DERA 1997 Report is the most expert and latest advice sought but DfT ignoredtheir conclusions without any other expert supporting them in;-

    1. Fused bombs no more unsafe than in pristine condition and could be removedwith EOD handling care

    2. The Keilce ship explosion was caused by using explosives to remove hull platesand not because the ship was unsafe

    3. Computer modelling could define risks to protect people

    These are the only reasons cited to continue not clearing the wreck but the DfTcontinue breaking laws not knowing how many would likely loose their lives and theirproperty through flooding

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    Professor Stephen Murray Head of the Department of Engineering and

    Applied Science of the UK Defence Academy, named by the DfT, hasgiven advice to the DfT. I have informed him of the technical and legalaspects of endangering life through his advice not resulting in the Wreckbeing cleared.

    He has refused to support the DfT or confirm my evidence that removesthe basis for not clearing the wreck, in addition to their legal obligations.

    He has failed to remind the DfT of their legal responsibilities to protectpeople from explosives, as he has not discharged his responsibilities, astheir chosen expert.

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    The fuses holding the detonators are not water tight and the smallamounts of the initiator primary explosive lead azide is soluble andwould have been washed away See DERA Report.

    NAVSEA US (2008) conducted Steel Ball Impact Sensitiveness Testson copper azide crystals, producing no reactions, so they chosecopper azide for their detonators in a 40 mm Grenade and MineCounter-Measure Dart See NAVSEA Report

    Copper azides exists in two states cuprous azide and cupric azide Other research work shows copper and lead azides similar in

    sensitivity in impact tests but electrostatic tests show copper azideis more sensitive than lead azide that would not be relevant inmetal cased detonators

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    It is likely there are no fragmentation bombs as DERA strongly indicated in their Report

    But the fragmentation bombs, if present, are not armed and very likely the firing pins would becorroded solid but would not have sufficient kinetic energy to detonate the caps

    PERME stated any small initiator material would have been dissolved and washed away soon after

    sinking (In 1997 DERA Report)

    But copper azide exists in two forms cuprous and cupric azides. They are more sensitive than lead(plumbous) azide but can withstand steel ball impact tests. See NAVSEA Report

    Dr Daniel Jean of VAVSEA has used copper azide in a 40 mm grenade and mine clearance dart

    I consider the wreck is safe to clear from the munitions but not safe to leave to fate as a collision,an internal collapse or terrorist attack are real possibilities, causing it to explode that could kill all14,000 in Sheerness and many more beyond

    Roger Elliot, now retired, Head of SMIT Salvage stated SMIT offered to support me , subject to

    contract, as I was going to lead the way in a submersible first

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    I have read all the MCA Reports and available evidence and can see no basis for not clearing the wreckbut the DfT insists it is too dangerous to conduct an internal survey of the state of the bombs that theyare required by law, if they had a licence to hold explosives, that they do not have and are in breach of HSE Regulations

    The DfT have refused to find an expert to argue their case with me invite me or discuss my newevidence that the copper azide is not as unstable as they claimed

    DfT have refused my offer to have the risks computer modelled, so a safe zone could be determined andthe number likely to be killed or seriously injured could be estimated

    DfT accept the wreck could explode from a collision , capsize or movement of the cargo but will notdefine a safe zone and move people away

    The last DfT Summary Report was in November 2000 and the Iraq war with the emergence of suicidebombers have a very easy accessible target intent on taking life that even the Police CCs have ignored.

    The Port Patrol vessels are not armed to intercept a terrorist, so the crews would likely be shot andmission accomplished

    DfT are waiting till the wreck collapses and then expect experts to clear it! But it might explode! Why!

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    The Kielce has been wrongly cited to supportthe Non-Intervention Policy.

    It was totally irresponsible to use Explosivecharges to cut holes in the hull plates withbombs on the other side

    But the DfT state this as a reason not to clear

    the Montgomery, showing how little theyknow about explosives and munitions

    Munitions are designed to detonate but thisdoes not make them unsafe to handle, store

    or transport

    DERA informed them explosives should notbe used near the wreck

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    DERA 1997 Report Conclusions

    3.1 The bulk of munitions are high explosive bombs. The main fillings are probably stillin serviceable condition and, with suitable initiation, capable of a mass high order

    detonation.3.2 Any fuses present are likely to have been completely flooded for some time and

    are either non-functional or no more sensitive than in their normal state.

    3.3 The white phosphorus smoke bombs would present a special hazard in the eventof a recovery operation or explosion.

    3.4 The condition of the explosives would probably permit handling by normal EODprocedures providing an aqueous environment was maintained.

    3.5 It would be extremely dangerous to use explosives in the vicinity of the wreck.

    3.6 The reports which estimated the effects of a mass explosion of the remainingcargo were both written some time ago. As there have been significantdevelopments in computer programs capable of modelling events of this type, itmay now be possible to obtain a better assessment of the effects of a massexplosion under a variety of different wind and tidal conditions than was previouslyavailable. The Explosives Effects Sub Committee of the Explosive Storage andTransport Committee may be prepared to carry out this assessment.

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    Copper azides ChemistryCopper azide exists in two covalent states as cuprous azide and cupric azide

    Cupric azide can be prepared by a metathesis reaction between copper(II) nitrate

    (Cu(NO3)2) and NaN 3 sodium azide

    Cu(NO3)2 + 2NaN 3 Cu(N 3)2 + 2 NaNO 3

    Cu/N ratio 1/6 atoms

    Cupric azide Cu(N 3)2 has a Molecular weight of 147.59

    Cuprous azide Cu 2(N3)2 has a MW of 211.14

    Cu/N ratio 2/6 atoms

    Atomic weight of copper is 63.546

    Atomic weight of Nitrogen is 14.0067

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    Lead azide exists in two states as plumbous azide and plumbic azide.

    They both have different ratios of copper or lead to nitrogen atoms.

    Plumbic azide Pb(N 3)2 has a MW of 291.24 Pb/N ratio 1:6 atoms

    Plumbous azide Pb 2(N3)2 has a MW of 498.44 Pb/N ratio 1:3 atoms

    Atomic Mass of lead is 207.2 Atomic Mass of N is 14.0067

    Lead azide Chemistry

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    Joined R.A.R.D.E. 1966 Applied Explosives Branch EOD Section (luck to be saving lives not killing)

    1968 Invented water guns up to 3m long - 16 mm mild steel plate penetration

    1970 Water gun to make safe any limpet mines attached to Navy ships

    1971 Circuit Breaker NI IEDs made safe the first IED in Belfast on Friday 12 th Nov 1971

    1973 Beguine flying plate for first car bombs

    1974 RARDE Fragment Attack Test Anglo- French TNT most unpredictable

    Sensitivity testing of UK explosives in many tests, including TNT and its mixtures with others like RDX

    1977 Paw-Paw Mk 1

    1982 Invited to be Team Leader of UK IND Response but rejected offer as no MOD insurance for Team

    1986 low height Paw-Paw Mk 2

    1987 Various enhancements to Mk 8 Wheelbarrow

    1992 Trainee Team Leader of Nuclear Terrorist bomb Response Team and shocked how backward the US & UK were and still are

    1994 Voluntary redundancy when PIRA declared their ceasefire 1994 over 3,000 IEDs had been made safe in the UK by my systems

    2007 Offered to computer model and clear the Montgomery

    2012 First public proposal presentation on 27 TH September at Canterbury University. Home Office, Kent Police & Medway Council warned people not to attend

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