CAMPAIGNERS have dismissed reassurances from military chiefs about radioactive waste leaking into the Clyde.
Pipes which the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had allowed to fall into disrepair leaked nuclear waste into Loch Long from the Trident base at Culport.
The revelations came after an investigation by The Ferret, which forced the release of information on the leaks the Government had tried to keep hushed up.
Marian Pallister, chair of Pax Christi Scotland, said the revelations were unsurprising but concerning for people living in the area.
Pallister, a writer and journalist who lives near Lochgilphead, told The National: “I’m afraid that it wasn’t a surprise, we have known about this for a long time.”
She dismissed the MoD’s claims that there had been “no unsafe releases of radioactive material into the environment”, adding: “They would say that, wouldn’t they?
“They are obviously going to lessen their involvement but however big or small the leaks might be, they are leaks into waters that are a part of our lives, part of our heritage.
“I live in mid-Argyll, as the seagull flies, I’m about 35 miles from Faslane, it’s a much longer journey by road. These are waters that we sail in, that we swim in, that our fish come from et cetera. Even if it’s one milli-whatever of contamination, then it affects the whole population.”
Pallister also raised concerns about the impact on tourism to the area, which is a major boost to its economy.
She said: “This area relies so much on tourism. Do you think that tourists are going to come up here if they think that the waters around the Clyde Estuary are contaminated with radiation?”
The scandal has led to calls from the Scottish Greens for an investigation after a six-year battle to have the files released.
An investigation by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) found that the leaks had occurred because of “shortfalls in maintenance”.
There was one pipe burst in 2010 and a further two in 2019, one of which released “significant amounts of water” flooding a nuclear weapons processing area where the water became contaminated with tritium, a material in nuclear warheads. This water was released into Loch Long.
After an investigation by Sepa, the MoD promised 23 actions to prevent more bursts and floods in March 2020.
However, there were two more pipe bursts in 2021 including another incident in an area with radioactive substances.
The SNP said the incidents were a “direct consequence of Westminster’s decision to impose nuclear weapons on Scotland”.
Bill Kidd, the MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, said: “Trident is dangerous, immoral, and completely incompatible with the peaceful, forward-looking nation we want to be.
“Scotland has a proud tradition of opposing weapons of mass destruction. With independence, we can scrap Trident, clean up the mess it has left behind, and invest instead in the real priorities of our people – tackling the climate crisis, improving public services, and building a fairer economy.”
The MoD was approached for comment.
