Archived press release

City Centre Protest about Toxic Pollution from Industry

27 March 1997

A lively protest will be held by Bristol Friends of the Earth in College Green, Bristol City centre at 8 am today, following the revelation that companies in Avonmouth are releasing thousands of tonnes of toxic containing wastes into air, water and land every year. The protest will involve people dressed in white protective suits and face masks, handing out leaflets to passers by. The protest will also involve a mock, smoking factory, banners, and music.

Friends of the Earth published the results [attached] of a 6 week long investigation into toxic pollution from Avonmouth last night. The investigation involved looking through and analysing data from little known files at the Environment Agency and Bristol City Council,revealed, amongst other things, the following:

. 7.5 tonnes of cancer-causing benzene was released into the air by Sevalco in 1995(1995 data is the latest available).
. Britannia Zinc released 19.5 tonnes of lead [1] and 1.5 tonnes of cadmium [2] into the air in 1996.
. 3650 tonnes of cyanide-containing "special wastes", produced by Albright & Wilson, is taken all the way to Pitsea, near Basildon in Essex for disposal (according to a permit application in 1993).
. ICI released 3,558 tonnes of nitrates into water in 1995.
. Many of the big industries in Avonmouth are releasing more pollution than they are legally allowed to.

Mike Childs, Senior Pollution Campaigner for Friends of the Earth, said,

" Most people living in Avonmouth or surrounding areas probably don't even know they are being polluted by industries belching out tonnes of toxic chemicals every year. The Government should produce league tables to let people know who the worst polluters are. If we can have league table for schools and hospitals, it's daft that we don't have league tables highlighting the worst polluters. Once we know who the worst polluters are we can force them

to clean-up."

Belinda Stonehouse of Bristol FOE said
" We don't want our air, water and land to be polluted by toxic chemicals. We want the industries of Avonmouth to be clean and green. Forcing industry to clean-up will not only be good for our health, but experience elsewhere has shown that reducing waste is good for profits and therefore good for jobs too. We have written to parliamentary candidates in the area - Bristol North West, Bristol West and Northavon - asking them to support our campaign for a better right to know and cleaner industries."

A local resident, Jane Warren, said
" People don't realise the potential risk from Severnside. Thousands of people in the industrial area don't seem to grasp the fact that they are in a position of potential risk. We still don't know about how the emergency services could be deployed in case of a major accident. I mean which way would the workers of Severnside run when they hear an explosion ?"

Friends of the Earth is campaigning for a comprehensive 'Right to Know' so that people to have the Right to Know about:
. toxic releases from polluting factories to air, water and land.
. toxic waste transported from factories for disposal in rubbish dumps or incinerators,and for treatment such as recycling.
. the storage of dangerous chemicals at factories and the movement of hazardous chemicals in the area.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS
[1] Lead can affect you when breathed in and if swallowed from food, drinks, or cigarettes.
Repeated exposure causes lead build-up in the body. Low levels may cause tiredness,mood changes, headaches, stomach problems and trouble sleeping. Higher levels may cause aching, weakness, and concentration or memory problems. Lead can also cause serious permanent kidney or brain damage at high levels. Lead exposure increases risk of high blood pressure. The Government said in its White Paper on the Environment, This Common Inheritance, that "...the Government is committed as part of its precautionary approach to reducing human exposure to lead wherever it is practicable" (para 13.8).

[2] Cadmium can affect you when breathed in and is a carcinogen. High exposures can cause severe lung damage and death. Repeated lower exposures can cause permanent kidney damage, emphysema, anaemia, and/or loss of smell. High exposure to cadmium may cause nausea, salivation, vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea.

The Government said in This Common Inheritance that "...the Government strongly supports a ... proposal to ban the use of cadmium where it is not essential and where safe substitutes are available."

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