‘Mustard gas buried under air base’ claim sparks MoD probe

A POTENTIALLY unstable chemical weapon could be buried beneath an airbase, which will shortly become home to more than 900 army personnel, it has emerged.

RAF Kinloss in Moray is the focus of an investigation into radioactive contamination, but a report emerged yesterday suggesting the site could also be contaminated with mustard gas.

Officially known as sulphur mustard, it is a colourless, oily liquid which can cause severe burns and cancer.

A land-quality assessment uncovered yesterday by BBC Scotland identified potential sulphur mustard contamination in 2004, before construction work began on a pipeline for a water treatment project.

The report stated: “Sulphur mustard is not a persistent chemical and under most conditions will readily break down.”

It added: “Under damp conditions [such as within soil], the action of hydrolysis can form an unreactive protective barrier around globules of active sulphur mustard.”

“These globules can exist within the soil matrix and any disturbance to such a soil may puncture the globule and release the active sulphur mustard.”

Kinloss was stood down as an operational airbase last year as part of the government’s Strategic Defence and Security Review.

About 930 personnel from 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support) are due to move from Waterbeach in Cambridge to Kinloss in July, where they will provide engineer support to both the RAF and the army.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “Our investigations to date suggest that there is no indication of significant risk to public health or the environment associated with the past storage or disposal of chemical weapon agents in the UK.”

The spokesman added: “Work undertaken indicates the sites are suitable for their current use, provided that any management systems, restrictions or procedures remain in place.”

Thomas Docherty, a member of the Commons defence select committee, said on the BBC’s Sunday Politics Scotland: “We need an urgent statement from the UK government that spells out exactly who knew what when, that says what is the actual independent scientific risk, when did they inform the Scottish regulators, when did they inform the local authorities, and when did they inform Scottish ministers?”

Eenvironment secretary Richard Lochhead said: “I am deeply concerned that the MoD may have sold land contaminated with radioactive material to communities. I understand that the MoD is conducting investigations into possible contamination. The Secretary of State for Defence must ensure that this work is comprehensive, transparent and completed as soon as practically possible.

“Should contamination be confirmed, I will press the MoD to work with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) and start remediation work as a matter of urgency.”