RESPONDING to reports that ExxonMobil is requesting an eight-month delay on the installation of noise-reducing equipment at its chemical plant at Mossmorran, Cowdenbeath MSP Annabelle Ewing has called on SEPA to ensure that any extension to the timescale is extremely limited.

Exxon/Mobil last week indicated that their £140m upgrade of the Fife Ethylene Plant had been put back through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ms Ewing said: “SEPA had initially given ExxonMobil until the end of this year to bring in a range of noise-reducing equipment, such as flare tips, to tackle the recurring nuisance caused to my constituents by repeated incidents of flaring at the Mossmorran Ethylene plant.

“ExxonMobil are now looking for that to be extended to August 2021 which would mean an 8 month delay in introducing these important measures”.

The MSP added: “To say that this news is disappointing is an understatement and there will be widespread and understandable suspicion amongst my constituents that the pandemic is being used as a cover to seek a lengthy extension.

“While I understand that there will have been an impact, I am urging SEPA to put the interests of my constituents first and limit any extension to weeks rather than months.

“This work needs to be done and it needs to be completed as close to the original timescale as possible.”