'We should look at decommissioning' Mossmorran

That’s the view of Fife Council’s co-leader who said that another unplanned flaring incident at the Fife Ethylene Plant (FEP) on Friday was a “tipping point” and talks must begin on shutting the site down.

Pressure is building on Mossmorran bosses and environment watchdog SEPA to act and at a meeting last week, Councillor David Ross said: “There is a general agreement on the need for an independent investigation into Mossmorran.

“We have seen some improvements, but this last example is a tipping point. We need to see firm action now. We should also start to look at decommissioning.

“No-one is suggesting that this happens overnight or even in the near or medium future. But given the impact it is having, we need to be able to give our communities some light at the end of the tunnel.”

The burning of excess gas is a safety feature but angry politicians say it’s happening too often and local communities are fed up with the accompanying noise, smoke, vibration and glow from the flames, and concerned about the possible impact on their health.

Green MSP Mark Ruskell previously called for the Scottish Government to shut the plants down – ministers don’t have the power to do so – and last week said an impact assessment must be carried out, as the flaring “can be so much worse” for someone with autism.

He said: “Increased sensory sensitivity can result in extreme stress and anxiety for both adults and children, and this has to be taken into account when assessing the impacts of this plant.”

The council passed a motion last month that said residents and communities affected by flaring from Mossmorran should receive compensation.

And ahead of more meetings next week, Cardenden Community Council have written to ExxonMobil, operators of FEP, to complain that the noise from the flaring is “similar to that of a jet engine” and “particularly annoying during the night”.

They added that the accompanying vibrations were a “major issue” for local residents.

ExxonMobil, and neighbours Shell who operate the Fife Natural Gas Liquids plant next door, are already on final warnings which were issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) last year, in relation to flaring incidents in 2017.

But there have been incidents since, with more than 900 complaints in April when black smoke belched into the atmosphere from the FEP, with flames lighting up the sky for days on end.

And on Friday, ExxonMobil were forced to say sorry again after a “mechanical issue” led to more flaring.

The problem was resolved by late afternoon and FEP plant manager Jacob McAlister said: “We fully understand any concerns and would like to reiterate our apology for any inconvenience caused in local communities.”

The company added: “The flare is an essential part of the plant’s systems and we would like to assure you that there was no danger to local communities or staff on site.”

However, Cowdenbeath councillor Darren Watt said the apology won’t wash.

He stated: “The fact that ExxonMobil’s management predictably apologised for ‘any inconvenience caused’ proves to us all how out of touch they really are and how they are completely failing to understand the fears, the anxiety and the concerns from the surrounding communities.

“Perhaps if they had bothered to show up at the public meeting held last month, they could have heard this for themselves.

“Unplanned flaring is not an inconvenience, it is a worry.

“And not because of the flare itself, we all know it’s a safety measure, but because of the uncertainty of what has went wrong onsite that’s meant they had no option but to flare.

“I am once again calling on ExxonMobil management to accept their failings, take some ownership and face the music in a public forum at the earliest opportunity.”

Fellow Cowdenbeath councillor, Alex Campbell, said he had written to environment minister Roseanna Cunningham as both she and Cowdenbeath MSP Annabelle Ewing were “missing the point”.

In a letter to the Times he added: “We know there is a review already underway by SEPA into the plant itself but what we need is a proper review of the impact on people and on their health and wellbeing.

“The fact is that many people have suffered asthma attacks, panic attacks and where they already had a medical condition this has been exacerbated by the events of the last few months and last few years.”

In the wake of Friday’s flaring, Ms Ewing said: “I can assure my constituents who live in the vicinity of Mossmorran that I will continue to push, poke, prod and question on this issue until we reach a resolution with which I am satisfied.

“Warnings are not sufficient, my constituents require effective action that safeguards their environment, their health and their quality of life.”

In a document sent to ExxonMobil, Cardenden Community Council said: “Over the past few years there has been several unplanned shut downs of the plant, resulting in prolonged flaring.

“This has caused major concerns and upsets in the community and surrounding areas.”

They added that it causes four major concerns – smoke, noise, vibration and glow – and made a number of suggestions, adding: “If these could be better controlled it would go a long way to restore community confidence.”

SEPA previously stated that they have “a full range of enforcement powers available and will utilise these to require the impact of flaring be reduced”.

Between 2008 and 2016 there were 670 flaring incidents at the FEP and 753 at the NGL site.

Both plants opened in 1985 and provide hundreds of jobs, with ExxonMobil promising “multi-million pound” improvements.

Stuart Neill, external affairs manager at the FEP, previously told the Times: “We understand the issues that flaring can bring to communities.

“That is why we are taking affirmative action to further minimise both the instances and impact of unplanned events.

“A multi-million pound programme of improvements is being reviewed by SEPA and we are keen to begin implementation as soon as possible.”