Fears over safety after nuclear waste leaks into Clyde revealed

Published on Monday 27 April 2009 22:52

CONCERNS have been raised about safety at Faslane after it was revealed nuclear waste has leaked into the Clyde.

The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) has said that if Faslane was a civilian installation it would consider closing it down.

The worst breaches included leaks of radioactive coolants from nuclear subs in 2004, 2007 and 2008, according to documents acquired under freedom of information requests by Channel 4.

Personnel at the base, situated on the eastern shore of Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute, are supposed to treat radioactive waste and pump it into the nearby loch under controlled conditions, to limit impact on the environment. However, according to the documents, there were three radioactive leaks which took place at Faslane in the past six years.

In 2004, radioactive effluent was discharged from the nuclear submarine, HMS Trafalgar, one of the submarines due to be relocated from Devonport in 2015.

An investigation showed procedural weaknesses and prompted a "final warning letter" from regulator and watchdog Sepa.

On 24 August 2007, an unknown quantity of radioactive liquid leaked from the nuclear submarine, HMS Superb, because a valve had been wrongly left open.

The MoD failed to inform Sepa for six days, and was then issued a second final warning letter after stating the base's waste management was inadequate.

Yesterday, the leaks were condemned by the SNP, which has called for an inquiry.

Angus Robertson, the SNP defence spokesman, said: "It is horrifying. We have now learned that we have had nuclear leaks at the Clyde for years.

"It is not just one case it is a whole series. The MoD should be answerable to the public authorities that regulate that. It has not done that. It thinks it is above the law."

Meanwhile, Argyll Liberal Democrat MP Alan Reid has written to Defence Secretary John Hutton calling for an urgent review of practices at the Faslane nuclear base.

However, local Labour MSP Jackie Baillie said she was "satisfied" the leaks had not been serious and measures had been put in place to stop them happening again.

"I don't have any concerns about Faslane stopping these leaks in the future," she said.