A new report shows no greater incidence of radiation-related cancers around Dalgety Bay than other areas.
NHS Fife’s consultant in public health medicine, Dr Jackie Hyland, confirmed NHS Fife had received information from the ISD cancer data study on the analysis of radiation-associated cancers in Dalgety Bay from 2000-2009.
The research showed none of the cancers most frequently associated with radiation exposure were found to be significantly higher in incidence among the community than elsewhere in Scotland.
NHS Fife has now asked COMARE the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment for their views on the findings.
The report is due on the agenda at a regular meeting of COMARE, which is a UK-wide committee, at the end of this month.
The study was called for due to ongoing concerns over the discovery of radioative particles on the foreshore of the town.
Radioactive hotspots were first discovered over two decades ago but last year a lump of material 10 times more radioacive than anything before unearthed was found.
Now the Ministry of Defence has until the end of the month to come up with a plan agreed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to tackle the controversial issue.
If nothing is agreed, Sepa will designate the beach area as the first radiation-contaminated area in the UK.
Community council chairman Colin McPhail is hoping for a resolution.
”After some 22 years, my patience continues to be stretched on the matter,” he said. ”However, I consider the community is owed a resolution and completion date for the remediation work whoever finally admits responsibility and the MoD and Sepa have to accept this.
”After all, it continues to harm the community and incurs more public expenditure being spent as the situation drags on.”
Mr McPhail said the majority opinion among townsfolk is that the MoD should accept responsibility for the contamination, even if that was only a ”social” responsibility and not sidestep it by using a legal argument.
”It will be public money spent to sort it out,” he added. ”I don’t expect them to accept legal responsibility but they have to agree to fund the work.”
Although pleased Sepa is in discussions with the MoD, he also hopes it is building up a legal case, should that be necessary.
He added: ”I do hope by this time next year they will have completed an investigation plan, with the remedial work completed by the end of 2013.”