The British Ministry of Defense has admitted that in recent years there have been repeated and recurring leaks of radioactive waste in the UK’s main nuclear submarine base at Faslane, near Glasgow. This base is home to the fleet of submarines equipped with nuclear propulsion weapons. Scottish regional authorities declare that emissions have been minimal but enough to consider closing the base to ensure complete safety.

The most significant of these leaks occurred in 2004, 2007, and 2008 when the submarines’ radioactive coolant contaminated with tritium and cobalt was released into the sea. The coolant came from three of the four nuclear submarines on the base, namely HMS Torbay, HMS Superb, and HMS Trafalgar.

The reports, presented over Channel 4 news, also include two tanks with radioactive waste posing a significant threat due to the formation of radioactive sludge. The MoD says that all these events have been reported to regulatory authorities in the nuclear field, and that the facilities and procedures at Faslane have been subjected to independent monitoring. According to the Ministry, none of the leaks has threatened people’s health or has resulted in contamination of the environment because of their very low radiation levels.

Image

Via guardian.co.uk