THERE are calls for the UK Government to launch an investigation after radioactive water “leaked into a Scottish loch” from a nuclear weapons base.
The Scottish Greens have said it was a “stark failure on the part of the UK Government”, adding that it could have “serious consequences”.
A joint investigation from The Guardian and The Ferret – also reported by the BBC – found that the material was released into Loch Long in Argyll and Bute.
It comes after a six-year battle to access documents which involved Scotland's information commissioner.
The investigation revealed that files compiled by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) – the environment watchdog – stated the Royal Navy failed to properly maintain a network of 1500 pipes at the Coulport armaments depot.
Coulport holds the Royal Navy's supply of nuclear warheads for its fleet of Trident submarines, which are based at HMNB Clyde at Faslane, near Helensburgh.
Sepa said the issues at Coulport, which date back to a pipe burst in 2010, were caused by "shortfalls in maintenance".
One incident listed in the files, which took place in August 2019, resulted in the release of "unnecessary radioactive waste" in the form of low levels of tritium, which is used in nuclear warheads.
The environment watchdog insisted that its assessments found the risk to the environment from effluent discharges was "of no regulatory concern".
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said there had been "no unsafe releases of radioactive material" into the environment.
The files were released after a ruling by Scottish information commissioner David Hamilton, who oversees the country's freedom of information laws.
According to The Guardian and The Ferret, the UK Government allegedly insisted the files had to be kept secret for national security reasons.
However, in June Hamilton ruled that most of the files had to be released as their disclosure did not threaten national security but "reputations".
Now, the Scottish Greens have called for an investigation to be launched.
"It is scandalous, but given the long list of previous incidents at Faslane and Coulport, its sadly no surprise,” MSP for West Scotland Ross Greer (above) said.
"The Ministry of Defence has long played fast and loose with these weapons of mass slaughter, throwing billions at private contractors whilst failing to even maintain its own facilities.”
He added: "These revelations will have been particularly chilling for my constituents who live near the site. To reassure them, UK Ministers must now investigate and explain why it happened and the steps they are taking to ensure it never does again. We need full transparency and accountability, not more secrecy.
“Nuclear weapons are a moral obscenity. They have no place in Scotland. These incidents underline the direct risk to the local communities who host them.
"It's time to disarm our waters and get these dangerous weapons of mass slaughter out of Scotland."
Commenting on the issue, Alba depute leader Neale Hanvey added: “This is a disgraceful cover-up by the UK Government. Radioactive leaks into Scottish waters were kept secret to protect Westminster’s nuclear obsession – not our communities.
“The UK Government and MoD have form when it come to this. When I challenged them on radiation leaks in 2023 their response raised more questions than it answered.
“Scotland is treated as a dumping ground for weapons we don’t want and dangers we didn’t vote for. Independence is the only way we rid ourselves of nuclear weapons and end this toxic disregard for our nation’s safety.”
A MoD spokesperson previously said: "We place the upmost importance on our responsibilities for handling radioactive substances safely and securely.
"There have been no unsafe releases of radioactive material into the environment at any stage.
"We frequently engage with regulators who report there is no significant impact on the environment or public health and are supportive of an open reporting culture."
