Coolant spillages at nuclear submarine bases

Between 1980 and 1998 there were 40 spillages of reactor coolant at Faslane, Rosyth and Devonport. On each occasion reactor coolant was "unintentionally released" from the bases into the sea. Most of the leakages came from Primary Effluent Tanks used to store the coolant.

At Faslane there were a total of 33 spillages. The largest of these was of just under one cubic metre of coolant in 1987. There were also six leaks in 1986, four in 1988 and four in 1992.

At Rosyth were 7 spillages, with almost one incident a year from 1986 to 1993. The largest incident was a leak of nearly half a cubic metre of coolant in 1989.

At Devonport there were a total of 10 spillages.

This information was disclosed in a reply by Defence Minister John Spellar to Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker and was reported in Scotland on Sunday on 30 August 1998.

On 4th December 1990 there was a leak while coolant was being pumped from HMS Talent to an external tank. The pipe split and 140 litre of coolant were released into the sea. (Parliamentary written answer 11/1/90).

On 20th June 1993 a major nuclear accident alert was started after one pint of coolant was released from HMS Repulse while berthed at Faslane (Parliamentary written answers 30/6/93 and 1/7/93).

Former US Polaris submarine Captain James Bush has revealed that American submarines routinely discharged reactor coolant water into the sea at the Holy Loch base in Scotland.