Seventeen sites fail to reach environment protection standards

Seventeen major industrial sites across Scotland have been outed by the government's environment watchdogforfailingtocurb pollution risks.

Thecompanieswiththepoorest performances in 2006, named by the ScottishEnvironmentProtection Agency (Sepa), include five meat processing factories, three chemical plants, two landfill sites, a hospital incinerator, a timber mill and a new biodiesel plant.

Manyoftheplantshavebeen accusedofproducingvilesmells, making toxic emissions or breaching environmental rules. Five are repeat offenders, having also failed pollution assessments in 2005 or 2004.

Some of the companies accept Sepa's verdictbutsaytheyhavesince improved their performance. Others, however, dispute the agency's findings, with one chemical company appealing to the Scottish Executive.

Sepaconducted"OperatorPerformance Assessments" of 277 industrial sitesfor2006,andrankedthem according to how they managed pollution risks. The performance of 17 sites was condemned as "unsatisfactory".

TheworstoffenderwasSacone Environmental'sabattoir in Brechin, whichalsofailedthe assessment in 2004. The plant was served with three enforcement notices last year and has long been a source of complaints from local residents because of smells.

SepaaccusedGrampianCountry Food in Angus of "poor site maintenance". The McIntosh Donald abattoir inAberdeenshireandLower Inchdrewer Pig Finishing Unit in Banff had "substantiated odour complaints", whileareport had been sent to the procuratorfiscalafterapollution incident at Scotbeef in Bridge of Allan.

Sepaservedthreeenforcement noticesontheKemfine(formerly Avecia)effluenttreatmentplantat Grangemouth.TheCibaSpeciality Chemicals plant in Paisley had broken equipment, a fire and the "repeated failure" of an effluent monitoring device.

An incinerator at Borders General Hospital in Melrose breached pollution limitswith"uncontrolledreleases" because of a breakdown. And there were major problems with smells from the Shewalton landfill site in North Ayrshire andBarr'sGarlafflandfillatSkares in Cumnock.

Argent Energy's new biodiesel plant at Newarthill in Motherwell was taken totaskbySepaforaninadequate knowledgeofitspollutionpermit. "There was also a serious sewer burst in September," Sepa said.

The failure rate of companies in 2006 - 6% - was marginally better than in 2005,when7%ofthesitessurveyed failed. Sepa said it was pleased that 94% of sites had passed its assessments last year, but criticised those that hadn't.

"Itis important that we work with those companies whose performance is less than satisfactory and identify how the management and operation of sites can be improved," said Sepa's Audrey Terry. "Sepa will not shy away from takingappropriateenforcement action in relation to those sites whichconsistentlyfailto meet Sepa's standards."

AccordingtoDuncan McLaren, the chief executive ofFriendsoftheEarth Scotland,"namingandshaming" companiesin the past had helped spur sometobetter behaviour. But a few seemed reluctant to change, he argued.

"Clearly a minority of irresponsible businessesprofit more from flouting environmentalprocedures than they losefromexposure,"McLarensaid. "Sepamust get the right tools and resourcestodealwithsuchthick-skinned' serial polluters."

Companies'responsestoSepa assessments were mixed. Kemfine, for example,accepted that its plant had suffered a "serious problem" in 2006 but pointedoutthatithadinvested £1.2 millioninimprovements.

Ciba,however,saiditwas "disappointed"tohave failed Sepa's assessment. But the company insisted that the environmental risks had been "minimalornon-existent"andhad appealedtotheScottishExecutive.

A spokesman for Borders General Hospital said that improvements had ensured that its incinerator no longer breachedpollutionlimits.North Ayrshire Council did not accept Sepa's assessment of Shewalton landfill, arguing that problems had been dealt with, or were outwith the council's control.

ArgentEnergysaidthatteething problems at its biodiesel plant - the first inScotland - had been resolved and promisedto work closely with Sepa. And a spokeswoman for the Caradale Brickworks complained that no notification had been received from Sepa.

AspokesmanforScottishPower pointed out that its poor assessment wasduetotheenforcementaction being taken over the illegal burning of dried sewage pellets, reported in last week's Sunday Herald.

OthercompaniesnamedbySepa were unavailable for comment.

When Sepa first released its list on Thursday afternoon, it only named 12 sites as unsatisfactory. But its assessments were withdrawn from its website laterintheafternoonbecausethey contained errors.

Thecorrectassessmentswere only provided to the Sunday Herald, and thenposted on the websiteonFriday evening.Theyshowed that the number of failures had increased to 17.