Pennaeth Gwasanaethau Cwsmeriaid a Chorfforaethol/

Head of Corporate and Customer Services

Trevor Coxon LLB (Hons) Birm Solicitor

Neuadd y Dref, Wrecsam, LL11 1AY
Guildhall, Wrexham, LL11 1AY DX: 721924-WREXHAM 4
Ffacs/Fax: 01978 292207
www.wrecsam.gov.uk www.wrexham.gov.uk /
Michael Ryan
/ Eich Cyf/Your Ref
Ein Cyf/Our Ref / EIR5981
Dyddiad/Date / 9 June 2016
Gofynner am/Ask for / Petra Samuels
Rhif Union/Direct Dial
Cyfnewid Testun/Text Relay:
E-bost/E-mail / 01978 282217
18001

Dear Mr Ryan

Request for information under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004

I am writing about your request made to Wrexham County Borough Council on 23 May 2016 requesting information on:

Dear Wrexham County Borough Council,

There have been press reports about the concerns of residents over exposure to airborne emissions from Kronospan and I wish to know which health parameters have been examined to determine beyond any reasonable doubt whether or not there have been any health effects which might have been caused by or worsened by such emissions.

The following report was published twenty years ago and on 16 September 1996, the Environmental Services Committee made the following decision:

“501 CHIRK EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY (STUDY OF HEALTH PROFILE OF LOCAL RESIDENTS) The Chief Public Protection Officer submitted a report (CPPO/21/96) to advise the Committee of the conclusions of the Welsh Combined Centres for Public Health in respect of a feasibility study to determine the need for a specific epidemiological appraisal of the impact of the Kronospan Factory on the health of the resident population of Chirk.

RESOLVED - To note the contents of the report.”

http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/MinutesData/EnvService/ES16091996m.htm

I’m unable to determine whether or not any “epidemiological appraisal of the impact of the Kronospan factory on the health of the resident population of Chirk” has been carried out during the last two decades, or what other data has been examined in order to confirm or deny any risk of damage to health of those living in, or visiting the fallout area of emissions from Kronospan:

Bowen H, Karani G, Layzell J. Feasibility study to determine the need for a specific epidemiological appraisal of the impact of the Kronospan factory on the health of the resident population of Chirk, Clwyd. Joint report of Clywd Health Authority, Glyndwr District Council and the Welsh Combined Centres for Public Health. Cardiff. University of Wales, 1996.

The following is on page 38 of Dr Diana Forrest's report for Knowsley Primary Care Trust "Investigating Local Concerns about the Effects on Health of the Sonae Chipboard Factory Situated on Knowsley Industrial Park" (December 2002):

" There was also a perception that health was deteriorating in the area with regard to respiratory diseases, chest, nose, and throat irritation, asthma, and skin disorders. Knowsley Primary Care Trust felt that these findings justified further investigation."

http://www.knowsley.gov.uk/pdf/Effects%20on%20health%20report.pdf

The above report cites the 1996 study by H Bowen and others on page 10.

When there was concern over pollution from the SELCHP incinerator in Lewisham, a health study (SELCHP WASTE TO ENERGY PLANT HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT) was published in June 2005, which reported that the asthma death rate in Lewisham had been lower than the London average prior to SELCHP starting (in 1993), but higher than the London average rate afterwards in the graph (Fig. 26) on page 51: “Standardised mortality ratios, 1990 to 2000: asthma (ICD9 493)”.

Page 33 of the SELCHP report has the following in a section headed “A perception of increasingly poor health”:

“There is a perception that has been an increase in illness overall in the local area in recent years, particularly in relation to respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and asthma. However, there is uncertainty about what may have caused this, if the increase is a real one. Two factors were thought to be implicated: poor air quality due to traffic and the SELCHP plant as a creator of air pollution.”.

The authors of the report failed to consider the effect of emissions from SELCHP on the infant mortality rates, despite a study published in May 2004 of infant deaths around 63 incinerators in Japan concluding:

"Our study shows a peak-decline in risk with distance from the municipal solid waste incinerators for infant deaths and infant deaths with all congenital malformations combined.”

(J Epidemiol. 2004 May;14(3):83-93.)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15242064

The infant mortality rate in Lewisham was steadily falling prior to the start of the SELCHP incinerator, but rose sharply afterwards, as can be seen from data released to Kate Green MP:

Written Answers — Cabinet Office: Infant Mortality (9 March 2015) Kate Green: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the (a) infant and (b) perinatal mortality rate was in each (i) region and (ii) local authority area in England in each year from 1985 to 2000.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2015-03-03.225973.h&s=speaker%3A24896#g225973.q0

Note also that the infant mortality rate in Newham was also falling prior to SELCHP starting, but rose afterwards. These Parliamentary Questions by Lyn Brown MP were brushed aside:

Infant Mortality: Newham

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the trends in infant mortality rates in Newham. [137790]

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130118/text/130118w0001.htm

(Lyn Brown MP: Hansard, 18 January 2013, Column 945W)

Incinerators: Greater London

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had on the potential effects on human health in Newham of the operation of the South East London Combined Heat and Power incinerator. [137767]

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130122/text/130122w0001.htm

(Lyn Brown MP, Hansard, 22 January 2013, Column 142W)

I can confirm that the Council does not hold the information requested.

Attached please find a response from the Environment and Planning Department.

Please note that where information is subject to copyright belonging to the Council, you will need to obtain the permission of the Council to re-use it for purposes other than private study or non-commercial research. The Council may charge for re-use. Where third party copyright material is disclosed, you must obtain permission to re-use from the copyright holders concerned.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with the way the Council has handled your request, you may ask for an internal review. Please contact 01978 292217 if you require an internal review of your case.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at – Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AS, telephone 01625 545745, www.ico.gov.uk.

Yours sincerely

Trevor Coxon

Head of Corporate and Customer Services

Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg.

Byddwn yn ymateb i unrhyw ohebiaeth yn Gymraeg ac ni fydd hyn yn arwain at unrhyw oedi.

We welcome correspondence in Welsh.

We will respond to any correspondence in Welsh and this will not lead to any delay.