N-ship visit 13 days from August 2

Press, 26 July 1983, Page 2

N-ship visit 13 days from August 2

PA Wellington The United States nuclear warship Texas will start a 13-day visit to New Zealand at Auckland at August 2. The cruiser would be at Auckland from August 2 to 8, and Wellington from August 10 to 15, said the Minister of Transport, Mr Gair, yesterday. Wellington groups spent the week-end organising protests against the visit. The Coalition Against Nuclear Warships said yesterday a public protest planned for the day the ship arrived in Wellington would include a lunchtime march through the central city, and a rally at Civic Square. The Wellington Peace Squadron re-formed at the week-end and plans to have between 30 and 40 craft — yachts, power boats, and canoes — on the harbour challenging the entry of the Texas. The Ministerial co-ordi-nating committee on visits of nuclear-powered warships has approved the use of the No. 2 anchorage at Auckland, and the inner anchorage in Wellington. “Both anchorages have been used during previous visits by nuclear-powered ships and both have been approved in terms of the New' Zealand Atomic Energy Committee’s code 500 on safety considerations in the use of ports and approaches by nuclearpowered ships,” Mr Gair said.

The Wellington anchorage which was used last year by the U.S.S. Truxtun, is sev-

eral hundred metres from Aotea Quay. At Auckland, the Texas will also anchor several hundred metres from shore, at the top end of the harbour on the city side. Auckland health workers will do emergency training and refresher courses with radiation detection equipment this week in preparation for the Texas’s visit The Auckland principal health inspector, Mr Ross Eades, said inspectors had to be specifically trained to use equipment in case of an emergency. Offices from the National Radiation Laboratory and the Nayy would help with the training. Nurses might also be trained in' how to use the special equipment. A fire officer would take part, and police would have their own training session. A launch with a radiation device is expected to circle the ship 24 hours a day. The Scientists Against Nuclear Arms group said it had “every confidence” in the competence and scientific integrity of the workers from the radiation laboratory. The group wants an undertaking from the laboratory that results of the monitoring will be made K' "c as they came to “The public should be given the information about radiation levels while the warship is in port, not told three months later that there was no detectable discharge from the vessel,” said Dr Patricia Lewis.