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Dreamer128 · 01-24-2005, 09:26 AM

I admit, a bit of Thread-Necromancy, but I just found an interesting new perspective. Might be worth examining for the people that have been debating in this thread.

ScottishPower demands right to pollute air

Legal challenge to EU emissions rules
By Rob Edwards, Environment Editor

ELECTRICITY company ScottishPower has taken the government and its environment watchdog to court to allow Scotland’s dirtiest industrial plant to continue belching out thousands of tonnes of pollution.
The multinational wants to continue emitting clouds of toxic gases from its Longannet power station near Kincardine on the Firth of Forth. But the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), backed by Scottish ministers and a European directive, is insisting that the pollution must be cut back.

The argument has resulted in a legal battle at the Court of Session in Edinburgh which also involves the water authority, Scottish Water. All sides are anxiously awaiting the outcome, expected this autumn .

The dispute has arisen over the burning of sludge from the Daldowie treatment plant in Glasgow, run by a ScottishPower subsidiary. The £65 million plant takes almost half of Scotland’s sewage from Scottish Water and converts it into dried pellets, which are burnt to generate electricity at Longannet.

Longannet, which mostly burns coal, is by far the biggest polluter in Scotland. In 2002 its smokestack spewed out 67,100 tonnes of sulphur oxides, which make acid rain, and 23,500 tonnes of nitrogen oxides, which cause breathing problems, as well as 13 other pollutants .

ScottishPower and Scottish Water see burning sewage pellets as an efficient and economic way of recycling waste to generate renewable power. But, according to Sepa, the process ought to be subject to the strict new European rules of the European Waste Incineration Directive, which imposes far tougher limits on emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides . Sepa says it first warned ScottishPower that it might apply to Longannet before the directive came into force at the end of 2000.

Last year Sepa was instruc ted by Scottish ministers to implement the directive. In November it issued a legal notice requiring ScottishPower to apply for a new pollution authorisation for Long an net. This prompted the company, backed by Scottish Water, to launch a little-publicised legal petition for a judicial review .

The arguments heard in the Court of Session over the past couple of months centre on how the pellets should be defined. Sepa says they are waste and so should be subject to the directive, but ScottishPower argues that they are a fuel, so should not .

All the evidence has been heard and the judge, Lord Reed, is now considering his verdict, which is not expected before September. Sepa, ScottishPower and Scottish Water all told the Sunday Herald on Friday that the outcome would critically affect their operations.

Sepa pointed out that, to comply with the directive, Longannet might have to install new technology to cut emissions. “Any reduction in sulphur dioxide or nitrogen oxides will improve air quality,” said a Sepa spokesman.

“Sepa supports, in principle, activities which re-use or recover waste, subject to appro priate controls,” he added. “These controls are in place to ensure that waste is recovered or disposed of without endangering human health or the environment.”

ScottishPower said installing the necessary technology would cost up to £400m. In effect, this would prohibit the burning of sewage pellets and increase emissions of climate-wrecking carbon dioxide from coal, the company argued.

“Sepa is being ultra- precautionary,” said a ScottishPower spokesman. Longannet burns 52,000 tonnes of sewage a year , he added, which would otherwise have to be spread on land or dumped in landfill sites .

The Scottish Executive confirmed that ministers had been cited in the legal case, and a spokesman for Scottish Water said: “Everyone involved is aware of the importance of this issue and the need for a coherent response to whatever decision the judge issues.”

Privately, industry sources were less polite, saying Sepa’s stance was environmentally unhelpful, being “ill-considered, ill-judged, coun ter-productive and nit-picking”.

(11 July 2004) (Source: http://www.sundayherald.com/43276)

[ 01-24-2005, 09:27 AM: Message edited by: Dreamer128 ]

01-24-2005, 09:26 AM	#57
Dreamer128 Dracolisk Join Date: March 21, 2001 Location: Europe Age: 40 Posts: 6,136	I admit, a bit of Thread-Necromancy, but I just found an interesting new perspective. Might be worth examining for the people that have been debating in this thread. ScottishPower demands right to pollute air Legal challenge to EU emissions rules By Rob Edwards, Environment Editor ELECTRICITY company ScottishPower has taken the government and its environment watchdog to court to allow Scotland’s dirtiest industrial plant to continue belching out thousands of tonnes of pollution. The multinational wants to continue emitting clouds of toxic gases from its Longannet power station near Kincardine on the Firth of Forth. But the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), backed by Scottish ministers and a European directive, is insisting that the pollution must be cut back. The argument has resulted in a legal battle at the Court of Session in Edinburgh which also involves the water authority, Scottish Water. All sides are anxiously awaiting the outcome, expected this autumn . The dispute has arisen over the burning of sludge from the Daldowie treatment plant in Glasgow, run by a ScottishPower subsidiary. The £65 million plant takes almost half of Scotland’s sewage from Scottish Water and converts it into dried pellets, which are burnt to generate electricity at Longannet. Longannet, which mostly burns coal, is by far the biggest polluter in Scotland. In 2002 its smokestack spewed out 67,100 tonnes of sulphur oxides, which make acid rain, and 23,500 tonnes of nitrogen oxides, which cause breathing problems, as well as 13 other pollutants . ScottishPower and Scottish Water see burning sewage pellets as an efficient and economic way of recycling waste to generate renewable power. But, according to Sepa, the process ought to be subject to the strict new European rules of the European Waste Incineration Directive, which imposes far tougher limits on emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides . Sepa says it first warned ScottishPower that it might apply to Longannet before the directive came into force at the end of 2000. Last year Sepa was instruc ted by Scottish ministers to implement the directive. In November it issued a legal notice requiring ScottishPower to apply for a new pollution authorisation for Long an net. This prompted the company, backed by Scottish Water, to launch a little-publicised legal petition for a judicial review . The arguments heard in the Court of Session over the past couple of months centre on how the pellets should be defined. Sepa says they are waste and so should be subject to the directive, but ScottishPower argues that they are a fuel, so should not . All the evidence has been heard and the judge, Lord Reed, is now considering his verdict, which is not expected before September. Sepa, ScottishPower and Scottish Water all told the Sunday Herald on Friday that the outcome would critically affect their operations. Sepa pointed out that, to comply with the directive, Longannet might have to install new technology to cut emissions. “Any reduction in sulphur dioxide or nitrogen oxides will improve air quality,” said a Sepa spokesman. “Sepa supports, in principle, activities which re-use or recover waste, subject to appro priate controls,” he added. “These controls are in place to ensure that waste is recovered or disposed of without endangering human health or the environment.” ScottishPower said installing the necessary technology would cost up to £400m. In effect, this would prohibit the burning of sewage pellets and increase emissions of climate-wrecking carbon dioxide from coal, the company argued. “Sepa is being ultra- precautionary,” said a ScottishPower spokesman. Longannet burns 52,000 tonnes of sewage a year , he added, which would otherwise have to be spread on land or dumped in landfill sites . The Scottish Executive confirmed that ministers had been cited in the legal case, and a spokesman for Scottish Water said: “Everyone involved is aware of the importance of this issue and the need for a coherent response to whatever decision the judge issues.” Privately, industry sources were less polite, saying Sepa’s stance was environmentally unhelpful, being “ill-considered, ill-judged, coun ter-productive and nit-picking”. (11 July 2004) (Source: http://www.sundayherald.com/43276) [ 01-24-2005, 09:27 AM: Message edited by: Dreamer128 ]