What are claimed to be rising levels of red dust in Port Talbot have sparked complaints.
Drivers have been noticing the coloured dust clouds as they hit the roads around the town, people have been finding it on their window sills and fingers and it's even claimed that pets have been made ill after walking in it then grooming themselves.
Some residents have complained to the authorities over the situation and have laid the blame at the gates of the TATA steelworks. It has said it takes its environmental responsibilities seriously and that any complaints it receives will be investigated. You can read more stories about Port Talbot here.
One resident, who did not wish to be named, said both people and animals were suffering due to the issue. He said: “We have tried to contact the Environment Agency over the increase in dust. I even presented ONS (Office for National Statistics) statistics for respiratory illness in the authority.
“There is red dust that gets pumped out of the steelworks. They used to do it more by night so that it’s not seen. It is on all the window sills of houses mainly in the Sandfields area,” he claimed. “Pets are sick when it’s bad as they lick their paws.”
Historically, Port Talbot has been subject to high levels of airborne particle pollution, known as PM10 (particles less than 10 microns in diameter), which is linked to the industrial nature of the area. It has led to the designation of an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) by the local authority. The AQMA covers the majority of the residential area between the steelworks and the M4 motorway.
PM10 emissions are generally linked to the steelworks complex but there are also emissions linked to other sources ranging from road transport, road salting along with construction projects and natural sources. People have complained for years that their washing has sometimes turned red due to the dust and described the situation as a “nightmare.”
Councillor Sean Pursey, who is Labour candidate for Sandfields East, said he was aware of the problem as he was a member of the TATA Steel Joint Consultative Group, which also includes councillors across the area. Representatives from Natural Resources Wales also form part of the group.
Mr Pursey said: “There’s two elements to it I suppose, in the sense there is the red dust falling on properties and also visible emissions from the works itself. I meet with TATA and NRW as part of my role, and know of the action being taken to address some of the issues. The first thing I saw when joining is that there has not been much progress on the nuisance dust issue for a long time. This is the dust that people are opposing, such as red dust on the window sill and in their gardens, particularly in the Mariners Quay in Sandfields and Mariners Point in Sandfields.
“We have residents who complain and get TATA out washing their cars and their driveways. We were looking to set up an event to get people from TATA and residents together to get people reporting issues. But some people have given up on reporting it and it does not help us when we're trying to press for action. We say there is a problem and TATA or NRW (Natural Resources Wales) might say we only have had a few complaints from Sandfields.”
He added: “There are a few things that the steelworks have done to make improvements such as the de-dust projects, but it’s not done much for the dust and the issues faced by residents in Sandfields which is coming from other areas in the plant." Read more about the problem facing residents over the red dust here and get more stories like this in your inbox with our newsletters.
Last year, TATA commissioned a new emissions control unit at its Port Talbot plant following a more than £20 million investment in new filtration systems, which is said to be delivering a reduced level of particulate emissions. Steps have been taken to improve its complaint management process at Port Talbot and they can be made through its 24/7 community support line or by registering a complaint via our website.
A TATA Steel spokesman said: “We take our relationship with the community and environmental responsibility seriously. If any member of the community has concerns – they are able to register a complaint via our 24/7 community support line or by registering a complaint via our website. All complaints are then investigated by our Environment Team.
“We continually make investments to improve our environmental performance across our Port Talbot site.”
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