Lorraine Williamson
More than a thousand barrels of radioactive waste have been discovered on the Atlantic seabed near the coast of Galicia, reigniting a long-dormant scandal and fuelling political fury. The find comes as part of a French-led scientific mission aimed at uncovering the legacy of decades-old nuclear dumping in European waters.
For over thirty years, the toxic cargo lay forgotten. Now, an oceanographic team aboard France’s L’Atalante research vessel has revealed a chilling truth: the seabed near Galicia hides over 1,000 barrels of radioactive waste, likely dumped during the height of Cold War-era nuclear secrecy. The barrels, resting nearly 4,500 metres below the surface, were sealed in steel and concrete—but their structural integrity remains unknown.
Their location, the Fosa Atlántica, is a vast underwater trench around 1,000 kilometres offshore, used between 1949 and 1982 by countries including the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland to discard an estimated 140,000–220,000 tonnes of radioactive material.
Robots, sonar, and seabed samples
The current expedition, known as Nodssum, is equipped with Uly X—a cutting-edge underwater robot capable of diving 6,000 metres. With sonar mapping and remote-controlled cameras, Uly X has pinpointed the barrels and is now collecting sediment, water, and biological samples from the surrounding area. Visual evidence of the barrels’ condition is expected to follow, with preliminary analysis due in mid-July.
A second mission using manned submersibles is already scheduled for 2026, aiming to further investigate whether the barrels have corroded and if radioactive material is leaking into the ocean ecosystem.
Political storm in Galicia
The revelations have sparked outrage in Spain, particularly in Galicia, where environmental groups and regional politicians say they’ve been kept in the dark. The Xunta, Galicia’s regional government, claims it was “surprised” by the findings and has formally requested information from Spain’s nuclear watchdog, the CSN.
Galician MEP Ana Miranda (BNG) condemned the lack of oversight, calling it “unacceptable” that the region has become Europe’s nuclear dumping ground. Greenpeace Spain is demanding an urgent independent risk assessment and full transparency from all involved countries.
Ghosts of the Xurelo
For many in Galicia, this discovery has reopened old wounds. In 1981, the Galician fishing boat Xurelo famously tried to block a French vessel from dumping nuclear waste off the coast. The crew’s defiance, caught on camera, fuelled international protests and helped drive the eventual 1993 global ban on dumping radioactive material at sea.
But while the practice may have stopped, the waste remained—and the legacy of inaction is now coming back to haunt Europe’s Atlantic border.
Europe’s dumping ground?
Though Spain itself did not participate in the original dumping, the fact that the waste lies so close to its shores raises questions over responsibility, risk, and response. Ana Miranda has called for EU involvement, urging Brussels to fund a wide-ranging investigation and clean-up effort, if necessary.
Experts warn that without reliable data on the barrels’ current condition, it’s impossible to rule out contamination of marine ecosystems or long-term effects on fishing grounds.
Renewed pressure for action
As ocean temperatures rise and ecosystems grow increasingly fragile, the reappearance of these radioactive relics has ignited new fears about past misdeeds and present-day accountability. With the first phase of the mission concluding in July and a follow-up already in motion, pressure is mounting on Spanish and EU authorities to finally face what’s long been buried—deep beneath the waves, but never truly gone.
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