A university professor has raised fears a multi-million pound waste incinerator planned for Aberdeen will raise pollution levels on what has already been branded Scotland’s third most contaminated street.
Ulster University academic Vyvyan Howard, a pathologist, claimed the £150million green energy from waste plant planned for the East Tullos industrial estate could reduce the air quality on Wellington Road even further.
Last month, the Torry street was named as the third most polluted in the whole country in a report by environmental group Friends of the Earth Scotland.
The group analysed government data for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and coarse particles (PM10), which come from exhaust fumes and are known to be linked with serious respiratory illnesses
Aberdeen councillors sparked a storm of protest in October when they backed the plant, which will convert waste from homes in the city, Aberdeenshire and Moray into energy.
The facility, which will have a 260ft chimney, aims to reduce the carbon footprint of the local authority, in advance of tough Scottish Government regulations due to be imposed by 2021.
Building work is expected to start in 2019. But Torry Community Council, long term objectors to the scheme, and their secretary, David Fryer, got in touch with Prof Howard to ask his advice on the issue.
He responded: “It is known that static combustion plants emit a plume of fine and ultrafine particles in their exhaust emissions.
“There would be considerable additional heavy goods traffic in the area from deliveries of waste to the proposed plant which would contribute additional PM10 matter to the local air.
“This is a major public health concern for residents in the area. It is undeniable there will be health impacts.”
However, Torry and Ferryhill councillor Alan Donnelly, who also serves as the council’s finance vice-convener, dismissed the fears as “pure speculation”.
He said: “What we have heard from the experts is that this plant will put out little carbon dioxide, it’s passed planning permission and the funding is in place.
“It’s a £150million project between three councils on an industrial estate. What would he rather we do?
“We have tough targets for recycling. I’d ask Mr Fryer what he thinks we should do with the city’s unrecyclable waste because the only other option is sending it by lorry miles and miles away – what would that do for the environment?”
