The Herald today does get round to sharing with us details of the recent Ferret factfinder freedom of information release, on accidents at the nuclear base on the Clyde estuary, at Faslane in the Gare Loch, but do not investigate just what the resultant leaks might mean for those living nearby or those who swim in the Gare Loch or the Clyde estuary.
Here is the fuller story and it gets very disturbing if you read on to the end.
From BBC Scotland in August 2025:
Radioactive water from a Royal Navy nuclear weapons base leaked into a loch after old pipes repeatedly burst, according to official files. The Guardian, external and The Ferret, external found the material was released into Loch Long, Argyll and Bute, after a six-year battle to access documents which involved Scotland’s Information Commissioner, external.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said its assessments found the risk to the environment from effluent discharges was “of no regulatory concern”. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) also said there had been “no unsafe releases of radioactive material” into the environment.
The joint investigation revealed that files compiled by Sepa, a government pollution watchdog, stated the navy failed to properly maintain a network of 1,500 water pipes at the Coulport armaments depot.
See that ‘leaked into loch‘, that should be leaked into loch. The radioactive water from those 1 500 pipes did really leak into the loch. No one is denying that now, not even the MoD.
From the CND, November 2024:
Radioactive air emissions have been increasing year-on-year at Coulport one of Britain’s nuclear submarine bases in Scotland. This development is of some concern as it would lead to increased health risks wherever the emissions were inhaled.
Investigations by The Ferret and The National newspaper found that emissions of radioactive tritiated water vapour had doubled at the Royal Navy’s nuclear weapons storage depot at Coulport on Loch Long between 2018 and 2023. According to the Scottish Pollution Release Inventory, tritiated water vapour emissions at Coulport were 1.7 billion becquerels (units of radioactivity) in 2018, rising steadily to 4.2 billion units in 2023. Tritiated water vapour is harmful when inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin as its radiation causes cancer and cardiovascular diseases including strokes.
The investigation also found that eight miles from Coulport at Faslane, where Britain’s nuclear submarines are based, tritiated water containing over 50 billion units of radioactivity had been dumped into the Gareloch. The level of dumping peaked in 2020, when 16.6 billion units were discharged.
The Ferret noted that in 2019, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) “changed the rules to allow certain tritium-contaminated effluents from nuclear submarines at Faslane to be discharged into the Gareloch.” Both SEPA and the MoD claim these emissions are within official safety limits.
However Dr Ian Fairlie, CND’s science advisor, states that these limits are unreliable, as official estimated doses from tritium contain “large uncertainties.”
CND General Secretary Sophie Bolt said:
“From faulty nuclear-armed subs on dangerously extended patrols to crumbling nuclear waste sites, Britain’s nuclear industry is putting us all at great risk. Instead of enforcing the highest levels of environmental standards, the government is just redefining what ‘acceptable risk’ means. All so it can allow the dumping of radioactive water, putting local people at greater risk of cancer. This is beyond reckless. It’s time to scrap Trident and its replacement, and decommission the nuclear industry.” https://cnduk.org/radioactive-pollution-is-increasing-at-britains-nuclear-bases/
At the same time Cancer incidence in the under-50s has dramatically increased.
From the Health Foundation in September 2024:
Growing numbers of adults under 50 years [more likely to be exposed at work, in education or outdoor recreation including swimming than over 50s] are experiencing a cancer diagnosis (often known as early or young-onset cancer).
This is a developing field, but evidence is mounting that rates of young-onset cancer incidence are increasing, particularly in high-income countries in the global north. A study looking at global trends focusing on 29 types of cancer in people aged 14–49 years, found incidence of these cancers increased by around 79% between 1990 and 2019, with around 3.3 million cases globally in 2019 and countries in more economically developed regions particularly affected.
Scottish Labour is, of course, committed to the Trident programme.
No doubt, someone will blame the locals for smoking-induced lung cancer but but smoking rates have been in steep decline for decades:
Smoking prevalence is similar in males and females, with a decline observed in both sexes over time; from 2003 to 2021, prevalence fell from 28% to 11% in females and from 29% to 12% in males.
The big C Cancer is the main risk from humans ingesting tritium.
Finally on the tritium now being dumped in the Clyde in billions of units. From Scientific American in 2014:
The big C Cancer is the main risk from humans ingesting tritium. When tritium decays it spits out a low-energy electron (roughly 18,000 electron volts) that escapes and slams into DNA, a ribosome or some other biologically important molecule. And, unlike other radionuclides, tritium is usually part of water, so it ends up in all parts of the body and therefore can, in theory, promote any kind of cancer.
Some evidence suggests the kind of radiation emitted by tritium—a so-called beta particle—is actually more effective at causing cancer than the high-energy radiation such as gamma rays, even though skin can block a beta particle. The theory is that the low-energy electron actually produces a greater impact because it doesn’t have the energy to travel as far and spread its impact out. At the end of its atomic-scale trip it delivers most of its ionizing energy in one relatively confined track rather than shedding energy all along its path like a higher-energy particle. This is known as density of ionization, and has been shown with the similar form of radiation called an alpha particle.
Ionization is what makes radiation dangerous for human health. Essentially, the radioactive particle smashes into the atom or molecule and pushes out an electron or other particle, leaving that atom or molecule in a charged or ionized state. These charged molecules can then cause other damage as they interact with other atoms and molecules. That includes damage to DNA, genes and other cellular mechanisms. Over time this DNA instability results in a higher chance of cancer. As a result, scientists work under the assumption that any amount of radiation poses a health risk.
7 thoughts on “Herald frontpages highest level nuclear leak incident but avoids mentioning how it might ‘smash into your DNA’”
I await with bated breath the condemnation of these toxic cancer-causing leaks from Damn Jackie Baillie as these are occurring in her political backyard .
She will be gathering the mighty forces of Scottish Labour (sic ) to utterly condemn those responsible for this increasing threat to the health of local people .
Expect her to throw her considerable weight behind campaigners urging the removal of such deadly weapons and their toxic legacy from The Clyde . Being a critic of the Scottish NHS for alleged failures to meet cancer waiting times she will claim that removal of these nuclear bases will improve cancer response times in her own constituency .
She has also called for a Statue of Nicola Sturgeon to be erected opposite her constituency office and has praised the work of those at the Faslane Peace Camp .LoL !
I received a petition to sign, on this very matter, via ‘care2’ which I do sign their petitions usually, they seem to be a part US and part Australian orgnaisation.
I emailed them because the petition demands that the ‘UKMOD’ and ‘SEPA’ ‘fix these dangerous failures and end the cover-ups for good’. ‘SEPA’, a non government organisation(?) with no power, to stop this disgraceful UKEngGovs’ neglect of safety standards being unleashed onto Scotland and the environment.
Incredibly misleading in implying that SEPA has anything to do with the leak and more so the ‘cover-ups’…also note they aren’t sending the petition to the EngUKGov who are ultimately responsible for this assault on the Scottish environment and ‘dangerous failures’ to protect the people of Scotland.
I get fed up seeing petitions about, and aimed at Scotland, with such blatant ignorance and misleading messages. No doubt many many people will sign it though!
See this the EngGov have every intention of building more nuclear power sites etc…we can be sure they will force them onto Scotland unless, hm..I wonder how Scotland could reject that plan.
Westminster spending £13Billion a year on decommissioning nuclear. Over ten years, increasing all the time. Hickley Point years late and over budget. Labour have four years to try and plug nuclear. Too little too late. Local councils could refuse planning permission in Scotland.
Scotland is the best place for renewables. Wind, water, wave, solar. Scotland does not need nuclear or Trident. A total waste of time and energy. Scotland in surplus in fuel and energy pays more because of Westminster policies. No parity.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
I await with bated breath the condemnation of these toxic cancer-causing leaks from Damn Jackie Baillie as these are occurring in her political backyard .
She will be gathering the mighty forces of Scottish Labour (sic ) to utterly condemn those responsible for this increasing threat to the health of local people .
Expect her to throw her considerable weight behind campaigners urging the removal of such deadly weapons and their toxic legacy from The Clyde . Being a critic of the Scottish NHS for alleged failures to meet cancer waiting times she will claim that removal of these nuclear bases will improve cancer response times in her own constituency .
She has also called for a Statue of Nicola Sturgeon to be erected opposite her constituency office and has praised the work of those at the Faslane Peace Camp .LoL !
LikeLiked by 3 people
Baillie has broken her silence today on Twitter on the subject of…Nicola Sturgeon’s (supposed) amnesia.
I guess the real subject should be Baiilie’s amnesia since she seems to have forgotten which constituency she represents.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I received a petition to sign, on this very matter, via ‘care2’ which I do sign their petitions usually, they seem to be a part US and part Australian orgnaisation.
I emailed them because the petition demands that the ‘UKMOD’ and ‘SEPA’ ‘fix these dangerous failures and end the cover-ups for good’. ‘SEPA’, a non government organisation(?) with no power, to stop this disgraceful UKEngGovs’ neglect of safety standards being unleashed onto Scotland and the environment.
Incredibly misleading in implying that SEPA has anything to do with the leak and more so the ‘cover-ups’…also note they aren’t sending the petition to the EngUKGov who are ultimately responsible for this assault on the Scottish environment and ‘dangerous failures’ to protect the people of Scotland.
I get fed up seeing petitions about, and aimed at Scotland, with such blatant ignorance and misleading messages. No doubt many many people will sign it though!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I see that SEPA do have some questions to answer re their changing the rules on effluents released, grr. Btw anyone know who is the CEO of SEPA?
LikeLike
See this the EngGov have every intention of building more nuclear power sites etc…we can be sure they will force them onto Scotland unless, hm..I wonder how Scotland could reject that plan.
LikeLike
Guess where there is lots of Graphite…yep.
LikeLike
Westminster spending £13Billion a year on decommissioning nuclear. Over ten years, increasing all the time. Hickley Point years late and over budget. Labour have four years to try and plug nuclear. Too little too late. Local councils could refuse planning permission in Scotland.
Scotland is the best place for renewables. Wind, water, wave, solar. Scotland does not need nuclear or Trident. A total waste of time and energy. Scotland in surplus in fuel and energy pays more because of Westminster policies. No parity.
LikeLike