North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has called on the Environment Minister to respond to calls for independent, regular, unannounced visits to monitor air pollution in and around Chirk, following a recent fire at Kronospan panelling factory, the third in less than three years.
Mr Isherwood raised the matter in the Welsh Parliament yesterday after the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths AM, was asked to provide an update on Welsh Government policy regarding the environmental impact of dust nuisance on communities.
He said:
“Only yesterday, a study reported in The Times found that air pollution causes more deaths than the total from wars, malaria, AIDS and smoking put together. Referring to the fire at Kronospan, in the days that followed, as you might know, the new MP, Simon Baynes, for Clwyd South had an eight-hour surgery with residents there discussing their concerns about the air quality problems they'd experienced following the fire - not just people in Chirk, but also the surrounding area. He also met the Council Chief Executive, Kronospan, the Town Council and so on.
“A typical e-mail I got from a constituent about this: 'I live three miles away and have been affected by the smoke even with windows closed' - that was three days after the fire started - ‘The people of Chirk need answers and assurance that all the issues at Kronospan will be taken seriously. We need independent, regular, unannounced visits to monitor air pollution’.”
“I contacted Natural Resources Wales and I did get a helpful response. They reconfirmed that complication is caused by the regulation (of Kronospan) being split between themselves and Wrexham Council, and that although they put in temporary air-monitoring equipment as requested at the multi-agency meeting, it's down to the Council to continue with longer term air quality monitoring in Chirk.
“So, can you confirm when the split regulation is due to end, which in previous correspondence on behalf of Chirk residents I understand is planned for, and also how you respond to the call for independent, regular, unannounced visits to monitor air pollution in and around Chirk?”
The Minister told Mr Isherwood that the split regulations will come to an end in the summer.
She added: “I am aware of the concerns of having that split and, obviously, Wrexham County Borough Council are the regulators of the affected part of that site, and they've commenced their investigation, which I expect to be completed by the end of April. Certainly, as a Minister across many portfolios, I've been a fan of unannounced inspections. So, it's something I'd be very happy to discuss further with NRW.”