Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
A series of radioactive water leaks from a British military nuclear facility has raised alarm over environmental safety and government transparency, according to a recent exposé by UK media. The leaks reportedly occurred at the Royal Navy’s Coulport base in western Scotland, near Glasgow, and involved the discharge of contaminated water into the nearby Loch Long.
The leaks are believed to be the result of persistent failures in an aging network of approximately 1,500 water pipes at the facility, which stores nuclear warheads for the UK’s Trident submarine-based nuclear deterrent. The base serves as the primary storage site for the UK’s nuclear arsenal and supports the operations of the four Vanguard-class submarines stationed nearby.
Citing documents from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), the report revealed that the base has experienced multiple radioactive leaks over the years—once in 2010, twice in 2019, and another two times in 2021. The source of the contamination has been identified as water containing tritium, a mildly radioactive isotope commonly used in nuclear weapons and reactors.
At the time of the most recent incidents, around half of the storage infrastructure at the site had reportedly exceeded its operational lifespan, further heightening safety risks.
The report also accused the UK Ministry of Defence and SEPA of attempting to keep the information hidden from the public for years under the pretext of “national security.” However, a recent ruling by Scotland’s Information Commissioner, David Hamilton, forced the release of internal documents that eventually made their way to the press.
Environmental groups and transparency advocates have expressed deep concern over both the ecological implications of the leaks and the government’s handling of the issue.
“Repeated radioactive leaks into a vital waterway near populated areas should have triggered immediate and full disclosure,” said one environmental campaigner. “Instead, we’re looking at years of secrecy and deferred responsibility.”
Loch Long is part of a larger marine ecosystem and supports local fishing and tourism industries. Though the level of radiation reported may be low in comparison to major nuclear accidents, critics argue that even minor, repeated contamination events could pose cumulative ecological and public health risks.
The Ministry of Defence has so far downplayed the severity of the situation, stating that safety protocols are in place and that the risks to the public and the environment remain minimal. However, public trust has been strained by the revelation of repeated incidents and the years-long effort to withhold information.
The disclosure has reignited debate in the UK over the safety of the Trident program and the broader implications of maintaining a nuclear weapons infrastructure in densely populated or ecologically sensitive regions.
Parliamentary calls for a full inquiry into the state of the Coulport base and the government’s transparency practices are now growing, with lawmakers from both environmental and opposition parties demanding accountability.
As scrutiny intensifies, the Ministry of Defence may be forced to not only modernize its nuclear infrastructure but also confront increasing pressure for greater public oversight of the UK’s most secretive military operations.
