The Royal Navy’s Coulport weapons depot, which stores nuclear warheads for the UK’s Trident-class submarines, has been linked to multiple radioactive leaks into a Scottish loch, according to a Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) investigation.
The leaks occurred due to faulty and aging infrastructure at the Coulport facility, which is situated near Loch Long in western Scotland. The leaks happened on several occasions following pipe failures, as revealed by files published by investigative journalism platform The Ferret. The Scottish government’s watchdog, SEPA, found that the radioactive water — which contains tritium, a substance used in the production of nuclear warheads — seeped into the loch in 2010, 2019, and 2021. The findings of SEPA’s internal report, obtained in a lengthy legal battle under Scotland’s freedom of information laws, highlight the systemic maintenance challenges and asset mismanagement at the facility.
Despite these leaks, the agency concluded that the levels of radioactivity were very low and did not pose an immediate threat to human health. However, the report emphasized that the repeated pipe bursts and subsequent flooding constituted systemic shortfalls in maintenance and management. The Scottish Information Commissioner, David Hamilton, ruled in June that the bulk of the files could be shared with the public, citing a greater risk to reputations than safety. This ruling followed a dispute with the UK Ministry of Defense, which initially sought to keep the documents secret on grounds of national security.
Following this ruling, the UK Ministry of Defense committed to taking steps to prevent further pipe bursts. Although progress on these measures was initially slow, the ministry has since acknowledged the need for improved oversight and transparency. SEPA’s findings also revealed a pattern of issues at the Coulport facility, including a second pipe burst in 2021 that involved radioactive substances. In response, the agency conducted another inspection in 2022. This highlights the broader challenges faced by the British Navy’s nuclear facilities in maintaining their infrastructure and managing potential environmental risks.
Separately, reports from The Ferret indicate that there have been 12 nuclear incidents at the Faslane Royal Navy submarine base since 2023, raising further concerns about the safety and management of such sites. These leaks and incidents underscore the need for a more transparent and accountable approach to handling nuclear materials and facilities, especially given the potential long-term environmental and health consequences. The Scottish government’s commitment to public transparency appears a key step toward addressing these long-standing issues.