2 days ago
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Serious nuclear incident took place at Faslane naval base
Any incidents involving incidents, inspections, and regulatory activities at the base are recorded by the Ministry of Defence.
Nuclear Site Event Reports (NSERs) are graded on a scale from Category A through D to 'below scale' which indicates an incident which doesn't meet any of the prior categories.
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The Ministry of Defence defines a Category A event, the most serious, as being one which carries an "actual or high potential for radioactive release to the environment".
Figures released show there was a Category A event at Faslane in the period between January 1 and April 22 this year.
The Ministry of Defence did not respond to a request for comment as to the nature of the incident.
It is therefore unknown whether radiation was leaked into the environment or whether there was merely a high risk of that transpiring.
The incident is the second in the space of two years, with a 2023 incident at Faslane also given the worst risk rating. Previously there had not been a Category A incident at HMNB Clyde since 2008.
In total there were five Category B, 29 Category C and 71 Category D incidents at Faslane between April 22, 2024 and the same date this year.
At Coulport there were no Category A incidents but 13 Category C incidents did occur along with 34 Category D.
A submarine at Faslane (Image: Newsquest) The news comes after the Ministry of Defence admitted that Loch Long, where RNAD Coulport is located, is contaminated with radioactive waste.
Established during the Cold War, it is used as the storage and loading facility for the Trident programme.
Radioactive material was released into Loch Long after the Royal Navy failed to adequately maintain the network of 1,500 water pipes on the base.
A major leak in 2019 saw water contaminated with radioactive tritium discharged directly into the loch.
SNP Depute Leader Keith Brown MSP said: 'Nuclear weapons are an ever-present danger and this new information is deeply worrying.
'With repeated reports of serious incidents at Faslane and now confirmed radioactive contamination in Loch Long, it's clear there is a direct threat to our environment, our communities, and our safety.
'Worse still, the Labour government is refusing to provide any details about the Category A incident, or the full extent of the contamination, including who could potentially be affected.
'While Westminster ploughs billions of public money into weapons of mass destruction, the SNP is focused on building a better Scotland. But only with independence, can we scrap Trident, clean up the mess it has left behind, and ensure this kind of reckless nuclear policy is never forced on Scotland again.'
The Trident system is designed to act as a deterrent to other nations with nuclear capability, as a first strike on the UK would not eliminate the ability to strike back given some of the country's weapons are continuously at sea.
Four Dreadnought submarines, built at a cost of £7.75bn each, will replace the current Vanguard ships and are scheduled to begin entering service in the early 2030s.
The concept of a nuclear deterrent is based on the doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD), which holds that no country possessing the weapons of mass destruction would use them against another nuclear-armed state because both would be destroyed the fighting.
At least one Vanguard submarine is kept on patrol at all times, carrying up to 16 of more than 100 nuclear missiles in stock.
The Trident missiles are leased from the United States, with much of the technology used in the system provided directly by the Pentagon.
The Ministry of Defence has been approached for comment.
