Factory under fire as dust covers village
Villagers in Cowie are calling for an investigation into dust pollution believed to be coming from a nearby factory.
Deposits of fine dust, believed to be emitted from the Norbord factory in Station Road, which produces chipboard, have been left on property across the village, including cars, windows, garden furniture and even left on pets.
The issue of dust coating the village has been ongoing for a number of years but residents this week reported the worst instance of the problem in several years.
Berryhill resident Margaret Mitchell said the latest deposit of dust on the village has had an impact on her husband’s health.
She said: “It’s very frustrating. You’re out cleaning your garden furniture with the nice weather coming in and it just gets completely covered in a layer of dust and you need to clean it all over again.
“My husband William has rheumatoid arthritis and it really effects his chest and labours his breathing.
“It’s actual fibres of wood that you can see all over the place.
“I actually sat outside on Sunday during the nice weather and I was eating an orange and I could taste it.
“We have a six-month-old puppy and it sticks to his coat. You can tell when he has been
We apologise and are currently investigating the cause of the issue
outside. He is covered in it.”
A Norbord spokesman said: “We apologise for any inconvenience and we are currently investigating the cause of the issue.
“Our regulator, SEPA, has been informed and has already been on site to carry out its own inspection.
“We have been in touch with a number of local residents but would encourage anyone else who may have been affected to contact us directly.”
SEPA area manager Iain Cruickshank said: “We work every day to protect and improve Scotland’s environment and take reports of pollution very seriously.
“We always urge people to inform us if they are concerned so we can take action to protect the environment.
“Having received a number of public complaints on Friday and a further complaint on Sunday about dust in the Cowie area, our officers spoke to Norbord Europe Ltd, which informed us that a wood recycling operation had resulted in a release of dust from the site.
“SEPA officers instructed the site to stop until appropriate mitigation was in place to prevent this recurring.
“We visited the site this morning (Monday) and are continuing to liaise with the operator to investigate the reason for both releases and ensure appropriate mitigation is in place to prevent this happening again.”
Bannockburn councillor Alasdair MacPherson was contacted by a number of residents over the issue.
He said: “I’ve contacted officials from Stirling Council’s environmental health team and SEPA, who both have regulatory and enforcement powers over the factory.
“I have asked them to carry out urgent checks relating to air quality and what impact these deposits may be having on the health of local residents.
“I’m well aware how important an employer Norbord is at local level but the factory must not continue to blight the quality of life for Cowie residents.”
The Observer reported in 2013 how concerns were first raised over dust pollution in the village.
Residents who are worried about pollution from the site can contact the SEPA 24-hour pollution hotline on 0800807060.