Gordon Brown demands MoD action after new find outside Dalgety Bay radiation probe area
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has demanded the Ministry of Defence provides a timetable for action to clear radiation from a Fife beach amid revelations the area of contamination is wider than first thought.
Gordon Brown visiting the area under investigation with Dalgety Bay Community Council chairman Colin McPhail.
- By Claire Warrender
- Published in the Courier : 17.01.12
- Published online : 17.01.12 @ 01.10pm
The Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP has tabled urgent questions for the MoD in Parliament following the discovery of yet more particles at Dalgety Bay.
He hopes these will prompt an urgent response from the ministry which he branded ''lax'' in its dealings on the matter to date.
The new area in question is on the foreshore near Crowhill Wood, several hundred yards from where particles with 10 times previous radiation levels were recently found.
It is outwith the section of beach covered by warning signs, although the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) — which made the discovery last month — believes the particles are buried too deeply to pose a risk to public health.
SEPA has previously given a deadline of March 31 for the MoD to come up with a remediation plan for the area.
However, the MoD have yet to admit liability for the contamination and Mr Brown said its open-ended timetable was simply not good enough.
An MoD spokesman said it was awaiting the findings of an independent group established by SEPA which is considering the significance of particles and that defence minister Andrew Robathan will visit the area this month.
He has also asked him to state when the junior minister would visit the town and if he would meet the community and sailing club based next to the affected site.
In addition, he has called on him to name all current or former MoD sites where radiation contamination has been identified and to outline the exact areas of Dalgety Bay where it is believed radiation contamination exists.
Finally, he has asked the minister to state when he will be meeting him to discuss the contamination.
''I would like to know if any radioactive contamination has been found at this location and if so does it pose a risk to public health,'' Mr Brown said. ''It is right therefore that Crowhill Wood is included in the ministry's scoping investigation that they are carrying out.
''But I have put the questions in the way I have because there is, even after the last MoD letter, as yet no admission of liability and indeed only a mention on helping and informing the expert group on remediation criteria.
''They have yet to agree they will be funding remediation works and I understand the expert group has a timescale which is open-ended.
''This is unacceptable, bearing in mind that SEPA has given the MoD a deadline to come up with a remediation plan by the end of March or else they will set the wheels in motion to designate the foreshore as contaminated land.''
An MoD spokesman said it was awaiting the findings of an independent group established by SEPA which is considering the significance of particles and that defence minister Andrew Robathan will visit the area this month.
04.07pm - 17.01.2012 Eoin Ryan - Glenrothes, Scotland Report This
So Gordon finally finds his voice, only after he is powerless. He had options and authority for more than a dozen years and chose to do nothing. Bandwagon jumping of the highest order. He really has no shame.
04.39pm - 17.01.2012 Andrew Auchterlonie - Cardenden, Scotland Report This
Gordon Brown has known about this for the 20 years everyone else in Fife has, yet did nothing. Why is he bothering now? Local SNP activists have worked hard on bringing this to a head, only for him to come in at the last minute and attempt to take the 'credit'. Should have been done when he was PM!
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