‘Serious nuclear incident’ at Royal Navy base revealed – as MoD urged to share details
A serious nuclear incident took place at a UK naval base earlier this year, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has revealed.
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The “category A” incident took place at HMNB Clyde in Faslane, Scotland, between January and April.
A “category A” event refers to those which have “actual or high potential for radioactive release to the environment”.
HMNB Clyde houses the UK’s entire Royal Navy submarine fleet, which includes the Vanguard-class vessels that come armed with Trident missiles.
The MoD has been urged to reveal the specifics of the incident that occured at the base earlier this year, but has so refused to do so.
It has claimed the event did not pose a risk to the public or lead to any radiological impact on the environment.
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On Wednesday, the SNP demanded an urgent explanation over a “catalogue of failures” such as separate contamination nearby.
It comes after an investigation revealed that radioactive water from the Coulport base had leaked into Loch Long due to faulty old pipes in 2019.
MSP Keith Brown 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 these weapons are not only poorly maintained but are 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."
Responding to a written question earlier this year by an SNP MP, defence minister Maria Eagle said dozens of events at Faslane have taken place.
13 Category C incidents and 34 D incidents at nearby RNAD Coulport, the storage and loading site for the Trident programme, also occurred.
Ms Eagle said she could not reveal the specifics of Category A or B incidents "as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of any relevant forces".
But she said that "none of the events caused harm to the health of any member of staff or to any member of the public and none have resulted in any radiological impact to the environment".
A spokesperson for the MoD said: "We place the upmost importance on handling radioactive substances safely and securely.
"Nuclear Site Event Reports demonstrate our robust safety culture and commitment to learn from experience.
"The incidents posed no risk to the public and did not result in any radiological impact to the environment. It is factually incorrect to suggest otherwise.
"Our government backs our nuclear deterrent as the ultimate guarantor of our national security."