Stewartby Brickworks to close on February 29, 2008.

This is actually a very good news!
 
I assume that local lib-dems are more than happy to learn that due to
the technical improbability of bringing the historical brick production process
to any lower SO2 emission levels Hanson (now owned by the Germans)
will finally close the plant.
 
I just hope it’s not another trick to buy some time…

and I am really sorry for the 217 people looking around for a new job,
but chaps, please look at the bright side.

Clean air for all!

Purchase of Hanson by HeidelbergCement successfully completed

German Heidelberg Cement completed the acquisition
of the British building materials manufacturer Hanson Plc.

…
Hanson Plc is owner of the Hanson Building Products Limited
and subsequently the Stewartby Brickworks. For full info: click here

Now, assuming possible fine for Britain by the
European Court of Justice over the SO2 emission limits
breach near Stewartby Brickworks I come to think…

• The private German company extends its global operations
  merging with another private company, Hanson
• European Court of Justice gives UK as a country a penalty
• Finally we, the UK taxpayers would pay that bill,
  even though here in Bedford we are technically the victims

There must be something I’ve missed about the European Justice…
It is a bit confusing and no wonder that some people campaign against the EU…

Bedford Borough Council Website – Pollution Control Information

Although impressive, with good layout and nice navigation,
usually helpful Bedford Borough Council website this time
is not a good source of information regarding air pollution.

Its pollution section:

http://www.bedford.gov.uk/Default.aspx/Web/NationalSocietyforCleanAirNSCA

provides with two PDF links and list of allegedly
related pages, such us:

• Noise
• Building Site Noise
• Road Traffic Noise
• Railway Noise
• Pubs and Clubs
• Private Parties
• Noise and the Law
• Outdoor Events
• Noisy Parties
• Noisy Neighbours
• Burglar Alarms
• Car Alarms
• Commercial Noise
• Aircraft Noise

OK, let’s try general environment section now…

http://www.bedford.gov.uk/Default.aspx/Web/Environment

…some ‘related’ pages again.

• Energy Efficiency
• Street Cleansing Service
• Energy for Good
• Cocoon scheme
• Bedfordshire Renewable Energy Forum
• Local Agenda 21
• Sustainable Development
• Land and Premises
• Environmental Information Regulations

I better send them an email… EHAdmin@bedford.gov.uk
and their reply will be blogged.

What’s in your backyard?

Mr. Bob Boyce of SEPA, Edinburgh replied
my email yesterday (thank you Sir)!

Thanks you for your email.

In order for you to get up to date 1998-2006
please use the Environment Agency’s
“what’s in my backyard website”.
The EPER is only for 2001 and 2004.
It will be avail be annually starting
in 2009 with 2007 emissions data.

Hope that helps.

Stay well
Bob

Bob Boyce
Senior Environmental Assessment Officer
SEPA – Edinburgh
T: 0131 273 7242
http://www.sepa.org.uk

Now, I had to google a bit and came across
this interesting website “What’s in your backyard?”.
It is run by the Environment Agency, link here:

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/maps/

The only trouble is that dataset for this plant in Stewartby (?) ends in 1999.

Click here to see

Public information access is a bit of a window-shopping,
but the difference is that they always make you pay…
one way or another.

Be green, or so they say, right?
And what about the government?
Or is it just an IT glitch…

Registered SO2 pollutant Stewartby Brickworks (aka Hanson Building Products Limited, Hanson plc)

Stewartby Brickworks (Bedford) is owned by Hanson Building Products Ltd
all info below is fetched from a planning application they submitted to
Cambridgeshire County Council (to download original document click here).

Hanson Building Products Ltd (HBP) is part of Hanson plc. Hanson plc is a
building materials company employing over 15,000 people working mainly in
the United Kingdom, the United States and the continent of Europe.

Hanson Building Products Ltd is the UK’s leading manufacturer of quality
facing bricks and operates 19 brick works throughout the UK. Due to the
diverse geological setting of these sites and the 200-year history of brick
making at some of these locations, HBP is able to offer more than over 200
different colours and textures of brick.

HBP is also a major producer of concrete blocks (10 works in the UK),
bagged aggregates (22 facilities in the UK) and pre-cast concrete
(6 factories in the UK). The company employs more than 3000 people
in the UK and its main administration centre is at Stewartby in Bedfordshire.

Copyright notice: This photo is linked from publicly accessible
                  Flicker account by sindidziwa

What’s much more important Stewartby plan is registered in
the European Pollutant Emission Register. That’s good.

Click here to see details

Unfortunately again publicly available information is outdated
and covers only year 2004.

I turned to Mr. Bob Boyce of SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency)
to obtain newest dataset and will keep posting all replies on the blog.

Neighbourhood Statistics

I just tired to locate some stats online using http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/

The only dataset I came across online says it’s all perfect down in Bedford.
At least it used to be two years ago, back in the 2005.

Newer stats are not available.

Pollution puts Britain in the dock ( Metro on Stewartby Brickworks, Bedford and SO2 pollution – sulphur dioxide in the air )

Source: click here
Published: 04/09/2007
Download full article in PDF.

Britain faces being hauled into court for breaking the limit on levels
of a noxious pollutant gas being pumped into the atmosphere,
it has emerged.

The case, over the amount of sulphur dioxide in the air, is believed
to be the first of its kind brought by the European Commission.

Ministers have already been issued with a legal notice telling them
to take action. If they fail to reduce levels of the gas – linked to
an increased risk of dying from respiratory diseases – then Britain
could be fined by the European Court of Justice.

There are two legal limits for SO2 emissions and, according to the EC,
both these were broken. The breach is said to have occurred near
Stewartby Brickworks, Bedford, and would affect about 4,000 people
living within a 5km radius.

The risk of an early death from respiratory disease rises by 13 per cent
for even a relatively small increase in sulphur dioxide, a recent study
showed. The pollutant can be particularly harmful to asthma sufferers.

The case came to light when the Campaign for Clean Air in London (CCAL)
pressed the Government for information.

The environment department, Defra, admitted legal proceedings had
started but said revealing details ‘would risk undermining the
investigations, conduct and handling of the case’.

CCAL expressed its dismay at the Government’s ‘lack of transparency
and action’, and Conservative MEP John Bowis said: ‘We should be
leading the way in environmental standards across Europe, not forever
playing catch up.’

The Environment Agency insisted the brickworks met EC standards and
the site’s owner, HeidelbergCement, said it did not know ‘anything
about this factory breaking any pollution laws’.