Following a detailed and helpful response from S. Norton in relation to the orange smoke seen emanating from its site we have written to their Managing Director again.
We are seeking further clarification on the incident, the 'hot-cutting' process responsible, and its links to the readings we are seeing on Sefton Council's nearby pollution monitors, like the one pictured above.
We want to ensure that all, necessary steps are being taken to avoid incidents like this in the future, and that industry best practice is being implemented at their site when processing scrap metals to minimise pollution at all times, not just events like this one.
We want to work positively and collaboratively with them to tackle air pollution in South Sefton and have requesting ongoing meetings for this purpose.
Read our letter in full here:
On behalf of Liverpool Friends of the Earth, this is an extract of a Freedom of Information request I made regarding the poor environmental quality along the Mersey and potential impacts on communities and individuals.
On March 6th 2024, the Financial Times published the results of a study by Liverpool John Moores University on ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS - perfluoroalkyl substances) which are potentially cancerous and long-lasting: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.estlett.4c00017
The FT article stated that “the River Mersey had one of the worst levels recorded globally for a river basin. . . . They linger in surface water, groundwater, soil and air, finding their way into drinking water”. Articles have subsequently appeared in the Guardian and Liverpool Echo.
According to the Liverpool City…