A COMMUNITY activist has aired concern at Sunday's flaring at the Mossmorran Fife Ethylene Plant.

James Glen, chair of the Mossmorran Action Group, wondered what the next stage will be after ExxonMobil issued an apology to the local communities about the flaring.

The flaring occurred on Sunday due to a fault in a pump. Mr Glen said: "Easy apologies from ExxonMobil bring no comfort to residents suffering the fear and stress created by yet another emergency flaring period when the operators are under a final warning and are still under investigation for two other emergencies in the last year.

"As usual, no one appears to know how long the flaring will last, and the operators and regulators are tightlipped about the causes and extent of the emergency.

"After SEPA blamed a previous recent emergency flaring on negligence by ExxonMobil, we want to know the full extent of the current “equipment failure”, what exactly was leaked, how the spillage is being treated and what risks it has presented to emergency workers and local residents".

He added: "Seven appliances at such an emergency may be protocol, but as these emergencies are increasing, questions should also be asked about the cost, to both the public purse and the ability of the Fire Service to respond to concurrent local incidents".

The reason for the flaring was explained in a statement from the company issued on Sunday forenoon: " ExxonMobil Chemical Limited apologises to the local communities for any disturbance caused by the flaring at the Fife Ethylene Plant (FEP), Mossmorran.

"The flaring is necessary following a mechanical issue with a pump – one of hundreds used in chemical plants such as FEP to move liquids through the production process.

"In line with our standard precautionary procedures we have informed all relevant authorities, including the emergency services who attended the site for a while yesterday evening as a precaution while we isolated the pump".

Sonia Bingham, FEP plant manager, said on Sunday: “We worked round the clock with our specialist suppliers to install the replacement pump and restore normal operations.

"It is not possible to predict precisely at this stage when in the next few days we will return to normal operations, but we are doing everything we can to do this as soon as possible, while at the same time minimising the size of the flare and any resulting disturbance to the community.”

The company added that the flaring was an essential part of the plant’s safety systems and there was no danger to local communities or employees.

They added: "We would like to assure you safety and environmental protection are our highest priorities and that we will do all we can to keep flaring to a minimum.

We are working closely with the regulator, SEPA, as we resolve the issue. We apologise once more to local communities for any disturbance and are in contact with local agencies and community groups to ensure local residents are kept informed."