AIR QUALITY WATCH ‘Toxic’ emissions claim in biomass boiler fears
Appeal to monitor gases
Co n ce r n e d community councillors are set to write to council bosses asking them to install an air quality monitor in Clyde Valley High School.
Overtown Community Council have raised their concerns about the biomass boiler of in the new £25 million school.
The air quality monitor was located in a resident’s garden near the school.
But community councillors say that this may not give a true picture of the level of toxic gases coming out of the boiler.
Now they agreed at their community council meeting this month to write to the council urging them to relocate the monitoring equipment within the school.
But residents said that they were at their wits’ end with the issue and fear their pleas will fall on deaf ears.
John Brown, chairman of the community council, said: “I have spoken to an expert and he said whenever you see stuff coming out of the boiler into the air it is toxic.”
Another community councillor said; “Children are at the school for 10 years and teachers are there for longer.”
Wishaw Tory councillor Bob Burgess was set to attend a conference about biomass and the problems they can create.
“I don’t think that there should be any pollution coming out the boiler,” he added.
In a letter to the community council, the council have stated that particular matters coming out of the boiler are below government statutory requirements and lower than other areas across North Lanarkshire.
They added that there was no detrimental impact on air quality.
A council spokesman said: “Air monitoring equipment has been present in a garden of a resident’s property close to Clyde Valley High School since June 2016 and all findings clearly show there is no cause for concern.
“The results of daily monitoring over the past 11 months have shown that levels of particulate matter in this location are substantially lower than in other parts of North Lanarkshire and far below the levels set by air quality legislation. In short, there is no detrimental impact on local air quality.
“Unfortunately, we have limited air monitoring equipment available to us and need to remove this equipment for use elsewhere.”