A Place to Stand

SEPA say;

"The enquiry was passed to Regulatory colleagues who confirmed that SEPA has undertaken a series of investigations at Dalgety Bay where radioactive particles (point sources) have been detected on several occasions.

SEPA's assessment available on our web-site & peer reviewed by notable bodies such as the Health Protection Agency demonstrates that the specific activity of the particles recovered at Dalgety Bay can give rise to doses in excess of those arising from background & from those encountered by the people in Aberdeen.

SEPA consequently considers that nothing has been spent "investigating a level of radioactivity smaller & less dangerous (under the LNT theory) or less beneficial (under the hormesis theory) than the radioactivity encountered by everybody daily in every street in Aberdeen".this being the wording of my query
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This is clearly designed to match the level of obfuscation achieved by Sir Humphrey Appleby & the fact that they are so very anxious to keep secret the amount they have spent, not even daring to attempt a partial figure using only the costs of investigations farmed out on this scare story strongly suggest the real figure is many times higher than the "millions" I had suspected in my press release. 10s of millions, possibly as much as a hundred million.

However due to not knowing their case properly they have made an error. They have not just discovered "point sources" but also rocks of which "attempts were made to disaggregate these samples to pinpoint more accurately the location of the radioactivity. The result showed that .... it was not possible to subdivide the sample further without loss of identity to its constituent parts" which is, by definition not a point source; is wholly incompatible with it being radium paint particles; exactly what background radiation is like; & clearly an examination of background radiation not just "point sources". A more competent Sir Humphrey would have tried to divide it into 2 figures, 1 for point sources & 1 for everything else which could be argued as upholding the letter of their fraud.

Instead they have simply, yet again broken the Freedom of Information Act maintaining their previous position that whatever the law says "Neither SEPA nor its officers are under a duty" to answer questions posed under it. My reply:
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"Thank you. I accept SEPA's claim not to have spent anything at all investigating this as representing the very highest standard of both honesty & respect for the law to which SEPA aspire.

I cannot accept it as being in any way truthful. Since you feel it advantageous to tell such an obvious lie I must assume that my previously published estimate that you had spent "millions" is low & that you have spent at least £10s of millions & possibly as much as £100 million on this false scare story. You may, of course, dispute this with facts if you wish, if not a reasonable person would have to assume my new estimate broadly correct.

May I also point out a further lie in your response - that your investigation has not been limited to point sources but also that "attempts were made to disaggregate these samples to pinpoint more accurately the location of the radioactivity. The result showed that .... it was not possible to subdivide the sample further without loss of identity to its constituent parts" so not purely point sources & thus caught lying again.

You may be pleased to know that I have had far more difficulty getting an answer from SEPA than from the FO on a matter of more apparent delicacy.
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I will contact the Scottish Information Commissioner & put in an appeal on this but it seems clear that SEPA consider it more in their interests to keep repeatedly breaking the law than to answer. The response to my appeal on their refusal to answer the original question is due shortly - where are the scientific tests which SEPA claimed had proven the radioactive particles to be paint. Obviously, with not only Mr Tilly having said on national radio that these tests had been done but SEPA having now deliberately maintained them for, now, 4 months & the head of the Scottish civil service & First Minister being informed, such results must exist if SEPA is in any way whatsoever honest. We will see.