6 News A PRESSURE group has
launched a campaign against Egnedol’s planning application for an experimental waste and biomass gasification scheme at Blackbridge, Milford Haven. The group is encouraging residents
to lodge objections with the Planning Inspectorate by February 2, and to share concerns with their elected representatives. According to the developers,
the application could bring with it 550 jobs, but an inspector ruled that the environmental impact statement delivered with the planing application in July 2016 was incomplete. New plans have been submitted, including one for a 60 metre chimney. Environmental campaigners are
warning that the technology which Egnedol proposes is unproven, and that there has been no successful waste or biomass gasification scheme in the UK, despite many attempts. However, they have serious concerns about public health and health and safety risks should Egnedol build and try to operate such a plant. Gasification technologies such as those Egnedol want to use are, according to the campaigners, associated with substantial risks of fires, explosions and pollution incidents. In a press release sent to The
Herald, Friends of the Earth have stated: "Any explosion at the Blackbridge site could have particularly devastating consequences because it overlaps with two areas classified as top tier – the most dangerous Control of Major Accidents sites. These are Dragon LNG and SemLogistics’ oil storage facility." The statement adds: "Air pollution
is another serious concern because houses in Blackbridge would overlook the gasifier at a height just below that
Thomas Sinclair Editor
editor@herald.email
of the top of the chimney, i.e. would be heavily exposed to any pollution. Operators of a waste gasification plant in Scotland reported hundreds of air pollution incidents breaching the conditions of their environmental permit before the plant was finally shut down following an explosion and a fire." The Friends of the Earth is
supported by many Milford Haven residents.
WHAT THE RESIDENTS THINK The Herald spoke to many of the
residents in the streets which will be nearest to the proposed development. We did not meet anyone who will be living nearest to the proposed site in favour of the scheme. A long time inhabitant of Milton
Cresent, who has asked not be named in the paper, has told The Herald of his deep concern about the proposed 49.9 megawatt biomass facility which is now a step closer to becoming a reality for Milford Haven. The resident told The Herald: “I
went to a meeting at the Murray Suite last year arranged by developing firm Egnedol, and was able to speak to many of the representatives. “The first thing I asked was where
they were going to put 500 jobs. The answer back was that actually 23-26 jobs will be in the biomass plant - the rest will be spread all over the world, including in Morocco. Our source continued: “I asked
about the height of the proposed chimney, as the stack was obviously too low considering that the proposed plant is at sea level, and there are housing
Biomass plants: ‘Gassify’ wood to heat water for electricity generation
estates up on the bank near the plant. “I asked if anyone had done any
tests on effect on health. I was told it is going to be fine. “From my research, I have
discovered that there have been nine plants refused around the world of a similar nature, but now the residents of Milford Haven need to come out and stand up against this proposed untested facility.”
During the meeting, the resident
continued asking awkward questions: "Do you think that Milford is a dumping ground? It seems that way." 'No' was the answer from the firm’s representatives. The resident also asked: “Are you
coming here to start the plant and 15 months later, if it doesn’t work, do a runner?" 'Oh no', they said. “35 years ago, there was a fish
store on Wards Yard. It stunk 24/7. All the nearby houses suffered from the smell. Local residents can remember that smell like yesterday. “Some of the ladies on the road
will tell you that everyone had to go to the laundrette to wash their clothes, as the smell of the fish would linger on your washing if you put it out on the line.
“We do not want this happening again.”
WHO WILL POLICE THE PLANT?
Another question on many
people’s lips is how the Welsh Assembly Government will police the site, if it is built. Their track record on controlling pollution from power stations is in the public eye this week. Lack of enforcement seems to be
a key concern with opposition parties and environmental groups alike. It was revealed on Wednesday
(Jan 18), during a National Assembly Committee, that only one letter has been sent regarding Aberthaw Power Station after it was found breaking air pollution rules. Natural Resources Wales is the
principal environmental regulator and adviser to the Welsh Government, as well as the body responsible for the regulation of power stations in Wales. NRW, during an evidence
session held by the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee, confirmed that they had only sent one letter to the company running Aberthaw Power Station but had not received a reply. The European Court of Justice
ruled in September last year that Aberthaw Power Station emits illegal levels of air pollution.
What will the plant do? Egnedol’s proposes to build
a 49.9 MWe waste and biomass gasification plant at Blackbridge, Milford Haven. Egnedol state that this is the first phase of a gasification plant development seven times as large, one which will ultimately require 3.4 million tonnes of waste and wood every
year. Egnedol proposes a range of
associated downstream activities, including a biofuel plant which would turn some of the gas from the gasifier into fuels for transport, fish and prawn farming, a cheese factory, greenhouses, as well as the farming of algae, some of which
Simon Thomas, Plaid Cymru’s
Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Climate Change and Rural Affairs, told The Herald: “There has been a lack of urgency around this issue since the ruling last September by the European Court of Justice. We had confirmation during the Committee that only one letter has been sent by NRW to the firm responsible for Aberthaw. No action has been taken to remedy the situation at Aberthaw Power Station. The plant is still breaking the law and endangering public health.” The European Court of Justice
ruled in favour of the European Commission and against the UK Government
last September,
finding that, contrary to the UK Government’s claims, the coal- burning power station was in breach of EU rules on pollution. The European Commission’s case
was brought against the UK as the member state but the responsibility for air pollution in Wales ultimately rests with the Labour Government. Anyone wising to pass comment
can contact the Planning Inspectorate at
dns.wales@pins.gsi.gov.uk before February 2.
would be used to make biofuels in collaboration with Swansea University. However, their two proposed biofuel plants depend on technologies which have never been used successfully at commercial scale anywhere in the world. And no UK waste or biomass gasification power plant has ever been successfully operated, despite a significant attempts by other companies to do so.
THE HERALD FRIDAY JANUARY 20 2017
Follow us on Twitter @pembsherald
Residents and pressure group against Biomass plant
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72
