Radioactive coolant has leaked into Argyll’s Gareloch three times – in 20o4, 2007 & 2008. The leakages, from nuclear powered submarines of types armed with nuclear weapons and in the fleet based at Faslane, are made public today by the BBC, from documents obtained under Freedom of Information legislation.

Even more worryingly the documents show that:

• the Ministry of Defence (MoD) describes the incidents as a ‘recurring theme’
• the Royal Navy does not know how much radioactive material was discharged.

This last point make a nonsense of the MoD’s band and unevidenced statement that: ‘The discharges into the Gare Loch had no environmental consequences.

‘The MoD is a responsible nuclear operator and informed the appropriate regulatory authorities’.

This makes no mention of the fact that the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) was not told of the 2007 leakage for 6 days.

The BBC’s report shows that:

• In 2004 HMS Trafalgar discharged radioactive coolant into the Gareloch. (Trafalgar was the nuclear submarine that managed to collide with the north end of the Isle of Skye during a training exercise.)
• In August 2007, the Swiftsure Class nuclear submarine, HMS Superb, discharged water direcly into the Gareloch. This material was potentially contaminated with radioactive Tritium and Cobalt-60. (Superb went on to strike a submerged rock pinnacle in the Red Sea in 2008, suffering hull damage, putting her sonar array out of action, leaving her limited to surface travel. She was taken to the British base on Crete and was decommissioned in September 2008 because of the damage suffered.)
• In February 2008, HMR Torbay was warming up her reactor when a tank overflowed into the Gareloch.
• Two other incidents occurred at the base in 2008.

On the 2007 incident, SEPA wrote formally to Faslane  expressing concern and noting the MoD’s late notification of the event to itself.

On the 2008 incidence, SEPA issued an enforcement notice, concerned that proper procedures had not been followed. It is known that in 2008 a Waste Plant Manager was replaced when it was discovered that he had no qualifications in radioactive waste management.

The Agency has said that it would have considered closing the base if it had had the power to do so. However, formal legal action could not be taken because military bases are exempt from the law governing nuclear sites.

Widespread concerns over UK nuclear safety

The worry here is that the law governing UK nuclear safety monitoring is itself far from strong enough or enforced enough, For Argyll has reported on several occasions about the situation at AWE Burghfield (enter Burghfield in the Search for access to the articles).

This is now even more serious with the UK Goverment’s selling of its stake in Aldermaston and Burghfield to a foreign company whose safety record is even more questionable than our own. The sale was made without proper information to Parliament and here is the December 2008 For Argyll article reporting on the matter.

The incidents disclosed by the BBC are of serious concern to Argyll. The Clyde waterway – for Scotland as well as for Argyll, is one of the top outdoor activity centres, with sailing a major activity. What are the potential consequences for dinghy sailors capsizing into these contaminated waters? They cannot be negligible, and particularly since the Navy do not know how much radioactivity leaked.

A further concern, for Argyll and for Scotland, is that the released documents also show that the MoD’s plan is for Faslane to be the only UK base for nuclear submarines by 2015, after transferring to Faslane 3 older ships currently based at Plymouth.

Political reaction

Today at Westminster, Angus Robertson, leader of the SNP group there, saw the disclosures as further evidence for the necessity of removing Trident from Scotland, as his party has pledged to do. He says: ‘We are not talking about a one off incident but a whole catalogue of serious and frankly shocking failures. SEPA’s indication that it would consider closing the base, if it had the power to do so, underlines just how grave this situation is.

‘It is not good enough to say the MoD is exempt from radioactive safety regulations, and Ministers must be held to account. We need an immediate and top level investigation into this scandal.

‘In recent months we have heard of nuclear near collisions, fires on submarines and an ongoing procurement fiasco. Over the weekend even General Sir Hugh Beach confirmed that the Trident missile system is no use and that no more money should be wasted on it.

‘It is increasingly obvious that these weapons of mass destruction are more of a danger to the people and environment they are claimed to protect than any enemy.

‘There is a clear choice between two proposals:

• the SNP Scottish Government’s plan to save £25 billion by scrapping Labour plans to replace the Trident nuclear missile system with its estimated £100 billion lifetime costs
• the UK Government’s plan for savage cuts on spending on health and education.

‘Civil society, trade unions, religious organisations and the Scottish Government are working together to keep a new generation of Trident missiles out of Scotland’s shores and the voice of the former defence chiefs only adds to that argument.

‘Let there also be no mistake that Faslane has a great future ahead as a conventional base, without the radioactive risk of nuclear weapons.

‘Now, more than ever, the time is right to remove nuclear weapons from our waters’.

This is not a party political issue. It is one of basic short and long-term environmental security for Argyll. It is not feasible for the marketing of Argyll to major – as it must do – on its wealth of resources and opportunities for a wide spectrum of outdoor activities if it cannot rely on the great Clyde Waterway remaining clear of radioactive pollution.

It would be reassuring to see all of Argyll’s representatives at all levels and of all parties suporting the removal from Faslane of all nuclear ships (obsolete and in-service) and weapons; and supporting the refusal to accept the next generation of the Trident missile.

Only yesterday, Sir Hugh Beach, the former Deputy Commander of UK land forces, called publicly for nuclear decommissioning, describing Trident as ‘no bloody use’ and saying: ‘Let’s not waste money on it’. And he is hardly either a peacenik or a protestor at the gates of Faslane.

The photograph above is of HMS Tireless, a fellow Trafalgar Class nuclear submarine of HMS Torbay whcih was responsible for the 2008 radioactive leak into the Gareloch. The photograph was taken by a US Navy Sailor and is in the public domain.

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