Dalgety Bay radioactive beach e-petition and RSPB/Ramblers dispute

[Colin Gallacher]

Hi all,

Message below with an e-petition about removing the Spitfire
radioactive dashboard scrap buried on Dalgety Bay beach.

Also an item for info on a Trump-like dispute between Ramblers and
RSPB at Vane Farm Heritage Trail, Loch Leven.

Colin


From: Peter Sanders [mailto:peter....@blueyonder.co.uk]
Sent: 01 May 2012 10:55
To: Peter Sanders
Cc: Sheila Capewell; Ben Douglas
Subject: Message from Ben Douglas, Area Secretary, Forth Valley, Fife
& Tayside Area

To Group Secretaries, LB Area

I have just received the message below from Ben Douglas, Area
Secretary Forth Valley, Fife & Tayside. If you think that it is of
relevance to the members of your group, could you please forwarded it
on to them.
Thanks.
Peter Sanders

1. Dalgety Bay Beach:
Many of you will be aware that the saga of Dalgety Bay’s radio-active
contaminated beach has been going on for decades. Before continuing, I
must declare an interest as I live in Dalgety Bay.

The contaminated area is very close to a very popular section of the
Fife Coastal Path. Dalgety Bay Community Council has set up an online
petition to ensure the clean-up work will be completed by 2013.
Community Council Chairman Colin McPhail has organised an official UK
Government e-petition and an email campaign to step up pressure on the
Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The ‘Dalgety Bay Foreshore Radiation’ e-petition calls on the MoD and
the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) “to state that
remedial work on the contaminated foreshore area in Dalgety Bay will
begin immediately after the investigation plan is satisfactorily
completed and that those deemed responsible for the contamination will
fund the work and have it completed by the end of 2013”.

The email campaign is similarly worded and is directed to the Defence
Secretary Philip Hammond, with copies to SEPA, Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath
MP Gordon Brown and Mr McPhail.

Mr McPhail has been quoted “To put pressure on SEPA and the MoD, this
petition has been set up, and we hope as many people as possible will
sign it. It doesn’t mean just residents of Dalgety Bay but anybody who
is sympathetic to our cause. We need to get closure. It’s been going
on too long.”

What I am asking of Group Secretaries to do is to pass this message on
to your members for their consideration. Full details of the e-
petition and email campaign are available at www.dalgetybay.org.uk. I
have just completed both and it only took a few minutes.

2. Loch Leven Heritage Trail
Reports in this mornings newspapers indicate that the route of the
final link in the Trail through the RSPB’s Vane Farm is now a cause
for dispute between Ramblers Scotland and some local residents on the
one side and the RSPB on the other. In my copy of the Herald, there is
the headline “RSPB ‘behaving like Donald Trump’ in battle over loch
path”.

The planning application submitted to Perth & Kinross Council, at the
RSPB’s insistence, follows the road skirting the outside of its
reserve at Vane Farm.

I am certain further information will be forthcoming from Ramblers
Scotland questioning the RSPB’s inflexible attitude.

Regards

Ben Douglas

Area Secretary Forth Valley, Fife & Tayside

The Ramblers’ Association is a registered charity (England & Wales no
1093577, Scotland no SC039799) and a company limited by guarantee,
registered in England & Wales (no 4458492). Registered office: 2nd
floor, CamelfordHouse, 87-90 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TW