Hugh Pennington misses the point - again

A trio of pro-nuclear letters dominates today’s (May 18) Scotsman letters page, including one from bacteriologist Hugh Pennington, who, as usual, misses the point.

Pennington should know that a nuclear reactor isn’t necessary to produce medical radioactive isotopes. According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, radioisotopes are currently being produced in particle accelerators that are safer - because there’s no nuclear proliferation risk - and potentially cheaper than nuclear reactors.  

As a scientist purportedly concerned about human health, Pennington should be concerned about the rise in the number of serious nuclear safety incidents at Faslane where the UK’s Trident fleet is based, against the wishes of the Scottish People.

Scottish MPs have repeatedly asked Alistair Jack to confirm whether these leaks exceed safe levels, but have been met with a wall of silence. The Ministry of Defence confirmed more than 50 radiation leaks - 15 at Coulport and 43 at Faslane - in 2023 alone. Neale Hanvey was contacted by a whistleblower at Coulport over a “serious radiation breach” in 2022.

In 2012 20 Faslane workers were exposed to radiation. A 2009 parliamentary motion expressed concern that there were at least 8 liquid radioactive leaks into the sea loch over the previous ten years. Nuclear hulks are rotting in Rosyth and Sellafield has been leaking toxins around Scotland’s coast for 70 years. Is it any wonder that Scotland’s cancer rates are far higher than England’s?  

Even with government subsidies nuclear power isn’t economic and there’s no safe waste disposal method. But that hasn’t stopped the UK government from blasting the already polluted Solway Fifth into which it will dump even more radioactive Sellafield poison.

Scotland, with its renewables riches, doesn’t need nuclear power and the People don’t want it. To end the UK’s trashing of our nation, it’s simple - end the union.