Residents and politicians have expressed their shock at possible radiation being identified at a former military site on the outskirts of Perth.
After it was clarified that radium pollution is present at Dalgety Bay in Fife, it is understood that three more Scottish sites, including what was the Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA) building in Almondbank, could have been left with contamination.
In a letter issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), it has been revealed that soil contaminated with radium has been identified at 13 sites across the UK, including Almondbank, RAF Kinloss and RAF Machrihanish.
It is believed that former military land at Stirling Forthside has been decontaminated.
The DARA site at Almondbank was a major employer in the community for many years providing essential support to the British Armed Forces. It was sold to the Vector Aerospace Corporation in April 2008.
It specialises in the repair, overhaul and testing of aerospace components and supports the UK’s three main military helicopter fleets Chinook, Lynx and Sea King as well as Tornado jets.
The MoD report says each site would have varied levels of contamination and that the rate arising would be dependent on the site specific ground conditions.
Last night, the announcement was met with shock by residents and Perthshire politicians.’Complete shock’Nick Armstrong (37), of Almondbank, said he had never heard anything about possible radiation at the site.
”This is a complete shock and it will send a worrying message to all that live here,” he said.
”I will be looking into this immediately if it’s true.”
Alastair Bellamy, of Deer Park, Almondbank, was similarly concerned.
”I haven’t heard anything about this but it is a real worry,” he said.
”I will be doing some research into this to try to find out the truth.”
Pete Wishart, MP for Perth and North Perthshire, described it as a ”very concerning” development.
”If this is true I hope the MoD will look into this very seriously,” he said.
Roseanna Cunningham, MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, said she was concerned to learn Almondbank has been named as one of those sites with issues over radium contamination.
”I will be seeking further details regarding the extent and severity of the contamination,” she said.MoD ‘mess”’The MoD and the UK Government need to clean up their act, both literally and figuratively. They need to be open and honest about contamination at sites like Almondbank and they need to accept responsibility for cleaning up the mess they have made over the years.”
Councillor George Hayton, one of the representatives for the Almond and Earn ward, said, ”We will find out what dangers there might be from this.”
Mike Weir MP, the SNP’s environment spokesperson, added: ”Given the failure of the MoD to take responsibility for the contamination at Dalgety Bay, it is clearly worrying that other locations where soil polluted by radium have been identified.
”The behaviour of the MoD has been evasive and shifty, with ministers refusing to provide the information that has now emerged from a request to the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.
”We now need total transparency as well as immediate action to clean up any hazard that exists to public health.”
A spokesperson for the MoD said they couldn’t comment on the position at the former DARA site at Almondbank.
She added: ”The MoD has demonstrated a serious commitment to assisting the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa), the Scottish Government and the Dalgety Bay Forum in dealing with the situation at Dalgety Bay. We will continue to work with them to identify the likelihood and scale of the residual risks and the requirement for remedial action.”
Picture used under Creative Commons licence courtesy of Flickr user Nomad Tales.