Toxic fumes may reach dangerous levels in Rugby next year warn officials in the Rugby Advertiser on 23 April. New figures released this week already show that NITROGEN DIOXIDE levels have increased around the town possibly due to having more traffic. Proposals to close roads for pedestrianisation may clog up the town pushing up levels of nitrogen dioxide above the recommended national health guidance and leading to more congestion in narrow street canyons.
Despite all this RBC and the WCC Area Committee backed the scheme and WCC are to have the final say, but that, in a sanctimonious dismissal "it was too late to change the plans now!"
On 20 April the Rugby Community Cement Forum and the public were alarmed to discover the increase in the Cemex emissions from 2006 to 2007. Cemex said that the increase was "due to an increase in production", but this left many people scratching their heads as to why there was no correlation between the "increases in the different pollutants", as you can see for yourselves in the Environment Agency table (see blog 12 April) : i.e carbon dioxide up 25% ; nitrogen oxides up 50%; lead up 300% etc etc?? Many people think that the TYRE BURNING introduced at 3 tonne an hour, after the fitting of the BAG FILTER in March 2007, in order to "comply with the WASTE INCINERATOR DIRECTIVE" , may actually be the cause of the increase in pollution?
TAKE NOTICE OF WARNING! said the Editor of the Advertiser: "Whatever the normal safe levels of nitrous oxide and other chemicals there are in the area, Rugby has a DISADVANTAGE!! . It doesn't matter how safe and efficient the Cemex chimney is, something is coming out of it. Even if it were completely innocent chalk dust it can't exactly be good for you to be breathing it in. But I am not trying to criticise Cemex here - I believe it is a conscientious company with concern for the community - I also have no doubt that the new works is 'a whole lot safer' than the old works. So anyway the last thing we want to exacerbate the situation is by increasing the danger of chemicals in the air by choking the town with a pedestrianisation scheme. Councillor Sandison Chair of Sustainable Rugby warned that taking traffic out of the town centre would turn other streets into fume induced chemical canyons. If air quality is moving quickly towards dangerous levels, then the public has the right to know about the cause and what is going to be done about it - it's more important than spending money on a pedestrianisation scheme!"
POOR AIR QUALITY KILLING THOUSANDS IN LONDON!
Sunday Observer 26 April:
Pollution kills far more people every year in London than the previously accepted and estimated 1,000. The London Assembly said that at least 2,905 premature deaths each year, and probably "many thousands", were caused by dangerously high levels of substances such as NITROGEN DIOXIDE, fine particulates, and ground level ozone that lead to heart and lung diseases, and also affects those who are already ill with an unrelated condition, according to the report.
ENVIRONMENT AGENCY RECRUITS:
quote 14042 on its job pages:
"for £60,000 a year, plus exceptional benefits, a National Trading and Regulatory Services Manager to adapt new approaches and to invent new systems and ways of working as carbon trading and producer responsibility become more powerful tools in "improving regulation." (???) This role will be at the forefront of regulation and comes with a £4 million budget. The BIGGER PICTURE is the chance to IMPACT on £35 billion of ECONOMIC GROWTH!"
Now there's an offer you can't refuse - and which give the opportunity to "lead us towards a cleaner, better environment!"
