§ Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknishasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the site of the former Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) depot at Stirling has been cleared of pollution and explosives; if so, what pollutants and explosives were cleared; and, if not, what remains to be cleared. [HL1077]
§ Lord GilbertPrior to the sale of the site in question to Stirling Council, an explosive ordnance survey was carried out by the MOD and a clearance certificate was issued. Extensive environmental surveys were carried out by MOD in 1996, and again by the purchaser in 1997, leading to an agreed land quality assessment. The surveys identified that some of the land was contaminated with heavy metals, lead and cadmium, phyto-toxic metals, copper, nickel, zinc and chromium, radioactive material, radium, from former luminising activities and small quantities of petrol and lubricants consistent with past use of the site.
As a condition of the sale of the site to Stirling Council, responsibility for all remediation work transferred to the purchaser. Stirling Council has appointed a specialist contractor to carry out the necessary remediation work. During the excavation work the contractor found a small phial of unknown content and a quantity of small arms ammunition. Analysis of the phial suggests that it may be part of a gas sample kit used in World War II for instructional purposes and that it contained water. A second phial was found on 23 February and this will be subjected to the same analysis and review. EOD inspections are being undertaken when appropriate, but the likelihood of many more discoveries is considered to be low.
MoD will continue to work with Stirling Council to ensure that the civil procedures for dealing with any similar matters remain effective and fully understood by all parties.