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Permalink Reply by Kevin on April 7, 2011 at 23:41

Richard,
You may want to consider the following from the Evening Standard as it seems the NLWA now want the Council to relax its already failing rules on air quality. Something not mentioned in NLWA previous submissions or the recent consultations. Even more worrying is the comment from Haringey that its 'Policy Review is being worked' on especially as Haringey's Air Quality document was only approved in February and was not due for review until 2018.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23939317-waste-agenc...
Waste agency: Relax the rules for giant plant

A rubbish processing authority was today accused of putting pressure on a council to relax its air quality rules to clear the way for Britain's biggest waste plant. The North London Waste Authority plans to build the facility near Muswell Hill and Bounds Green and has told Haringey council 60 jobs would be created.

The site, near the North Circular, already has some of London's worst carbon dioxide levels and exceeds nitrogen dioxide pollution limits. In documents, the authority states: "There may in some instances be difficult decisions to be made trading off CO2 benefits against job creation/economic benefits." It adds: "The authority therefore recommends that waste facilities should be exempt from any such policy."
A waste authority spokeswoman said it "has not unfairly tried to influence the London Borough of Haringey's environmental policy."
The council said its policy review was still being worked on.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin on April 7, 2011 at 23:57

If anyone is in any doubt of the air quality issues associated with even brand new waste recycling plants should look at this article. This plant had to be shut down not once but twice by the Environment Agency due to the level of dioxins being released into the air. So much for air quality assurances.

http://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/waste-management/energo...

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Permalink Reply by Alan Sitkin on April 8, 2011 at 1:54

Hi Mary-Louise

 

I've been working at the Council to get better information on air quality, have a look at the following link, which has Enfield's weekly report, including Bowes station.

http://www.enfield.gov.uk/downloads/413/pollution_control-air_quality

For more up to date info, have a look at London Air Quality Network (LAQN) Website

 

Alan

mary-louise clews said:

Hi Richard

Thanks for starting a discussion on this. Its something I worry about with a young child living close to the North Circular (I live not far from the monitoring station).

The fact that children are exposed to the fumes from the road is obviously a concern, hence the data collection at the school.  I found the air quality  site independently a few weeks ago, but can't find how to read it - the terms and levels shown mean absolutely nothing to me - can anyone help - have I missed the east explanatory page on the network's site?

Thanks

Mary-Louise

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Permalink Reply by Alan Sitkin on April 8, 2011 at 1:56

Kevin, the idea here is that if Barnet/Haringey are going to go ahead, for the former to commission waste trucks running on electric batteries. It may be difficult given that the Lead for Environment there is Tory supremo Brian Coleman, a guy with a certain reputation. But it's worth lobbying. Alan

Kevin said:

If anyone is in any doubt of the air quality issues associated with even brand new waste recycling plants should look at this article. This plant had to be shut down not once but twice by the Environment Agency due to the level of dioxins being released into the air. So much for air quality assurances.

http://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/waste-management/energo...

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Permalink Reply by Alan Sitkin on April 8, 2011 at 2:00

Hi again, which site are you looking at? The Environmental Scrutiny panel I chair at Enfield specifically looked at this and the Bowes Primary School station seems to be working - the bad news being that X days a year (mainly in summer when a heat inversion effect takes place), two kinds of pollutants exceed healthy thresholds. 

 

What to do at that juncture? The big picture is that Boris Johnson should have never delayed the transition to Low Emission Zone phase 3, which requires the white vans pumping smog into the air to comply with regulations. Not to mention the fact that there are just too many cars on the NCR, roadworks or not!

 

mary-louise clews said:

Hi Richard

Thanks for starting a discussion on this. Its something I worry about with a young child living close to the North Circular (I live not far from the monitoring station).

The fact that children are exposed to the fumes from the road is obviously a concern, hence the data collection at the school.  I found the air quality  site independently a few weeks ago, but can't find how to read it - the terms and levels shown mean absolutely nothing to me - can anyone help - have I missed the east explanatory page on the network's site?

Thanks

Mary-Louise

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Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on April 8, 2011 at 15:24

Mary-Louise

Whilst as a principle I am in favour of all data collected at public cost to be made available publicly - I agree there is an issue with non-specialist interested parties really being able to understand the complexity of this stuff.

I am not clear at all what constitutes a "healthy" air quality, however in this case I think there is a bit of a clue on this section of the LAQNsite which shows performance measured against Government Air Quality Strategy objectives. As I read it our local air quality - in 2011 to date is within the criteria on three of the four measures,  but currently exceeds nitrogen dioxide pollution limits - an explanation of the effects of this substance on health is also on the Kings College Site.

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