Dalgety Bay on-shore Radium Contamination

Recent press reports about Dalgety bay featuring interviews with Gordon Brown speaking about the ”new” discovery of particles of radioactive onshore at Crowhill wood should not ellicit any surprise, it appears that Gordon Brown is playing  catch-up. 


Links to recent press reports

• Courier
• STV including video
• Fife Today
• Link to a 2008 press report  before the Enviros report was published 

It’s clear from a report that MOD commissioned Enviros to produce in 2009 that the possibility of onshore contamination was an issue. The report  describes on-shore contamination including investigations of domestic properties and gardens built over the former RNAS/RAF Donibristle salvage area in the 1960s.  This and associated reports were released by Defence Estates in response to a FOI request made 2010.


Extract from the Enviros report describing areas surveyed inshore from the beach


Link to full report


“Investigation Works Undertaken


8.  As a result of the data from the first Phase Two LQA and in particular the findings relating to Property D in Zone 2A, a further phase of investigations were undertaken. The site works involved both radiological walkover surveys and intrusive investigation, the areas investigated are summarised below (Zone designation used in original Phase Two LQA are shown in brackets):

• Dalgety Bay Sailing Club Boat Park (Zone 1): Radiological walkover survey of northern area where access was previously not possible;
• Property A in Zone 2A and Properties H & I in Zone 4B: Radiological walkover survey and random soil sampling from two properties in Zone 4B.
• Radiological walkover survey and random soil sampling from one property in Zone 2A which had not allowed access during the original Phase Two LQA.
• Former Salvage Section (Zone 2A): 1m by 1m gridded radiological walkover surveys and soil sampling in the garden areas of six properties. Where radium-226 and elevated count rates were identified removal of disseminated contamination and point sources was undertaken where possible.
• Internal Monitoring: Count and dose rate surveys covering accessible areas of the ground floor of six properties on the former Salvage Section and the sailing club house. A similar property outside the impacted area was also surveyed to provide a typical background for the developments which could be used as a comparison.”

Link to full report


Reference: 


DALGETY BAY LAND QUALITY ASSESSMENT PHASE 2B: INTRUSIVE INVESTIGATION AND INTERVENTION LAND QUALITY ASSESSMENT REPORT – FINAL V1 DEFENCE ESTATES, PROJECT NO: 12920, TECHNICAL REPORT, November 2009, by Enviros Consulting.