Radioactive Leak and Tritium Emissions Found at UK Nuclear Bomb Base Coulport
Maintenance failures at the UK’s Coulport nuclear bomb base led to radioactive tritium leaks and doubled emissions, provoking environmental concern over nuclear waste management and public health risks.
Official investigations have revealed that the UK’s Coulport nuclear bomb base experienced radioactive water leaks and elevated tritium emissions due to poor maintenance and delayed remedial action by the Ministry of Defence. Tritium—a radioactive gas and essential component in nuclear warheads—was released into Scotland’s Loch Long after multiple maintenance failures and pipe bursts at the Royal Naval Armaments Depot.
Confidential reports accessed through freedom of information requests indicate that tritium emissions have more than doubled since 2018, reaching over 4.2 billion units of radioactivity by 2023. Environmental regulators, including the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), attributed the leaks to sub-optimal maintenance and warned of “unnecessary radioactive waste” being released into the sea loch. Plans to replace all 1,500 pipes at risk have progressed slowly, compounding concerns about environmental security and public health.
The Ministry of Defence continues to maintain that emission levels remain within regulatory safety limits, though campaigners and some officials have expressed worry about the cumulative impact on health, the environment, and local marine ecosystems near the high-security site.
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