A whistleblower working in the heart of the Caithness peatlands has claimed that millions of plastic beads are being “spread all over the Flow Country” following a series of equipment failures.
The claims, which have been backed by Thurso and Northwest Caithness councillor Matthew Reiss, suggest that specialised plastic mats used to create temporary roadways for SSEN Transmission’s Spittal-to-Beauly power line project have “burst”, releasing pearl-sized plastic pellets, or nurdles, into the delicate ecosystem.
The 170km Spittal-Beauly power line is already steeped in controversy with many objectors saying it will “trash the Highlands”.
According to the whistleblower – an individual currently working on the site – the spill is being “swept under the carpet” by developers while the beads enter local waterways, including Little River and Thurso River.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) confirmed it was aware of the incident and said it had been in close contact with SSEN over the clean-up operation.
SSEN said it takes its environmental responsibilities extremely seriously and removed the mats from operation as soon as the issue was identified.
“They are small beads, the size of fish eggs, all over the countryside,” the whistleblower told the Groat. “I mean everywhere. They’re trying to hoover them up at the moment, but the hoover’s useless. They can’t get them lifted. There are millions of them over miles of ground.”
The source said the beads are escaping from heavy-duty mats laid by the company NPK for the contractor Murphy. The mats, which weigh roughly a quarter-tonne each, have reportedly fractured under the weight of large vehicles and heavy machinery.
“They look like fish eggs or seeds. Birds will pick them up, deer and sheep will ingest them, and they’ll be s*** out all over Caithness,” the source added. “It’s disgusting. Even the boys working there are disgusted.
“The nurdles have blown everywhere and it’s an environmental disaster. They’re in the water courses and everything. They’ve absolutely ruined the Flow Country and don’t let them tell you otherwise.”
The reports have sparked deep concern from Cllr Matthew Reiss. He warned that any failure to enforce environmental regulations could jeopardise the region’s Unesco World Heritage status.
“The moors are alive right now with birdsong – skylarks, lapwings, and returning ospreys,” Cllr Reiss said. “Plastic beads have long-term effects that are not yet fully understood. If there was a spillage, it must be properly cleared up. The enforcement of the rules is paramount.”
Cllr Reiss also highlighted a systemic failure in monitoring these massive infrastructure projects. “The council’s enforcement team is hard-pressed, and the scale of development is unprecedented. It is impossible for them to be everywhere, and NatureScot has a limited budget. It shouldn’t take a whistleblower to bring this to light.”
The worker further alleged that an environmental specialist discovered the spill and reported it to her superiors before leaving her position shortly after.
“She was the one that discovered it and broke it to Murphy’s,” the source claimed. “It’s an environmental disaster. It’s bigger than people think.”
A few days after the environmental specialist was sent a message via LinkedIn to confirm details of the spillage, she blocked us.
Beyond the plastic beads, the source alleged a litany of other environmental “mayhem” in the hills behind Dunbeath and Smerral, including unreported oil spills and the burying of human waste. He also provided exact locations where workers could be observed clearing the plastic pellets.
SEPA said it had been contacted about the issue on December 10. Nevertheless, it did not release information on the incident until pressed for a statement by the Groat.
A spokesperson for the agency said: ”SEPA were first made aware of a pollution incident in the Caithness area by SSEN who are responsible for the work being undertaken there.
“The pollution event involved the release of a large quantity of small plastic beads from three mats, which were being used to help heavy vehicles travel across wet land.
”SEPA has been in regular contact with SSEN since being made aware of the incident and they have informed us that a clean-up operation to remove the beads from the environment is almost complete.”
A spokesperson for Murphy and SSEN Transmission said: “We are aware of an issue with the temporary access matting which had been used for vehicle access during ground investigation works, whereby some of the mats released non-toxic plastic pellets onto the ground.
“We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously and these mats were originally selected and installed in line with environmental best practice for temporary access.
“As soon as the issue was identified, the affected mats were removed from use and inspections were carried out at all locations where they had been used.
“Where pellets were found, clean‑up was immediately initiated using a combination of manual and mechanical methods, with controls put in place to prevent any further spread.
“The clean‑up programme is near completion and remains ongoing in a small number of locations, with continued monitoring in place.
“Additional controls and inspection requirements have now been implemented to address this issue, should temporary access matting be required in future.”
Apart from SEPA being informed, the spokesperson said that NatureScot was also advised on the issue. NatureScot is the lead public body responsible for advising the Scottish Government on all aspects of nature, wildlife management, and landscapes. Despite being informed of the issue, it did not release any public information related to it.
Grab your first year of a Digital+ subscription for £20, available to new subscribers using the promo code DAVIDGSCOTT
Benefits include: Unlimited access to articles on all HNM websites, the ad-free HNM App, read every e-edition plus past paper catalogue going back over a year, access to all titles at HNM and exclusive subscriber events.
