from The National, 07 January 2015
A secret decision by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to end a safety ban preventing nuclear submarines from using two lochs on the west coast of Scotland has sparked alarm amongst local residents, politicians and campaigners.
The National can reveal that Trident-armed and nuclear-powered submarines have returned to Loch Goil, off Loch Long on the Firth of Clyde, and are now able to return to Loch Ewe, off Poolewe in Wester Ross. Visits to these naval “operational berths” have not been allowed since May 2013.
The ban was imposed by the MoD’s internal watchdog, the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator, because a series of safety exercises had exposed flaws in emergency plans meant to protect the public from radiation fall-out in the event of an accident. Nuclear submarines are dubbed “floating Chernobyls” by critics, after the world’s worst nuclear accident in Ukraine in 1986.
But on Monday this week one of the UK’s four Vanguard-class submarines, which carry Trident nuclear weapons and are driven by nuclear reactors, was spotted sailing up Loch Long and into Loch Goil. According to eye-witnesses, it arrived under high security at 1pm, was turned around by tugs and submerged at 6pm.
The submarine resurfaced at 8am on Tuesday, and then left the loch 30 minutes later. It was photographed by a local resident, Katherine Alexander, who lives in a remote house on the east shore of Loch Goil close to the submarine berth and within the MoD’s officially-designated evacuation zone.
She was sure this was the first time submarines had been in the loch since 2013. “Having been told that the MoD considered the emergency plan to be so inadequate that a ban was required, it was deeply disturbing to observe their return on Monday afternoon,” she said.
“I am unaware of how, or even if, the emergency plan has been updated by the MoD to increase safety. I am deeply concerned that the area is geographically distant from emergency response services should an incident occur.”
She pointed out that the nearby villages of Lochgoilhead and Carrick on Loch Goil were accessed by two five-mile single-track roads. “It is very hard to understand how any evacuation of the population could be managed alongside resources being brought in to respond to an incident,” she said.
Alexander has received information from the MoD, including a leaflet entitled “What to do in a radiation emergency”. She described the content, which suggests closing windows, blocking chimneys and abandoning pets or livestock when evacuated by the MoD, as “laughable”.
Loch Goil is thought to be vital for the UK submarine fleet because it’s where the noise that the boats make is tested to ensure they can navigate the world’s oceans without being heard. Before the safety ban in May 2013, nuclear submarines had berthed there 23 times since 2008, according to the MoD.
As well as frequenting the nuclear submarine base at Faslane on the Gareloch and the nuclear weapons depot at Coulport on Loch Long, submarines can also berth further north in Loch Ewe. The MoD told parliament that the loch had not been used between 2008 and May 2013 and it is not known whether it has been visited since, but the ministry made clear to The National that it could be used in the future.
The SNP’s Westminster defence spokesman, Angus Robertson MP, demanded safety assurances from the MoD. He pointed out that over 300 nuclear safety events had been recorded at Faslane and Coulport between 2008 and 2013.
The lifting of the ban on berthing in Loch Goil and Loch Ewe was “very concerning”, he told The National. “The MoD had to impose a ban on nuclear submarines under their own regulations following safety concerns,” he said.
“Wherever nuclear weapons are concerned, safety must be paramount. We need to know exactly what has been done to address safety concerns and tighten procedures with the nuclear submarines.”
John Ainslie, the coordinator of the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, was also worried. “A Trident submarine is a floating Chernobyl, carrying a lethal combination of rocket fuel, nuclear weapons and a nuclear reactor,” he said.
“Loch Goil may be considered to be a remote spot, but there are local residents who would be in the front line in any accident. Radiation could be scattered for hundreds of miles downwind, across Scotland.”
The MoD confirmed that the submarine ban had been lifted, but declined to say when or give any details. “The Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator provided consent to use the Loch Goil and Loch Ewe facilities following successful demonstrations of emergency arrangements in 2013,” said an MoD spokeswoman. “The MoD does not comment on submarine operations.”
This story prompted a motion in the Scottish Parliament.
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