Petrol firm pumps up air quality
BENZENE is probably not the first substance you think of when talking about air pollution but it is one that the government is taking seriously, as is Shell UK.
The gas is present in the vapours that escape from petrol and is a concern due to its links with certain cancers.
Members of the Air Quality Forum raised a query concerning benzene pollution around petrol stations at their meeting last July.
Environmental Health Officers told the meeting that local levels of benzene remain well below the acceptable levels set by government but would still be reduced further.
Huw Davies, the Health and Safety Manager for Shell UK's retail division, explains a little more about the actions being taken by the petrol companies to reduce this potentially harmful pollutant.
'The first phase in cutting down on emissions has now been completed at a cost of over 3 million.
'Across the UK whenever fuel is delivered to a Shell service station a vapour recovery system ensures that very little vapour escapes.
'As a tanker delivers fuel to the underground storage tanks the system ensures that fuel vapour is sucked back into the tanker making the delivery.
'This means reduced vapour emissions and, crucially, only a limited smell of petroleum vapour when deliveries are being made.
'The next major challenge is to reduce the emissions of vapour when a vehicle is filling up its fuel tanks.
'Shell is planning to use a nozzle that will take the vapour from the vehicle's petrol tank during re-fuelling and route this back into the underground storage tank.
'New service stations will feature this new technology from January 1, 2003, and we expect to have all Shell service stations in the UK using this technology by 2010.'
He added: 'Shell takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously and we have for many years been members of Ellesmere Port and Neston's Air Quality Forum.'
Head of Environmental Health for the council Mike Whittaker said: 'The council routinely inspects local petrol stations to ensure vapour recovery systems are installed and working. Benzene monitoring since May 2001 shows the maximum benzene level as 15 per cent of the national health based standard. Good news for residents.'
Our information's a breath of fresh air
The air quality information on Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council's website has been judged the best in Cheshire by a leading national magazine.
Air Quality Management, a magazine aimed at air quality professionals, carries out an annual review of every council website in the country.
They assess how easy it is to find information about air quality on the websites and the clarity and quality of the information provided.
A total of 470 websites were tested and the information on air quality on Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council's site came out in an impressive 29th place in the UK and top in Cheshire.
Head of Environmental Health Mike Whittaker said: 'We are delighted that Air Quality Management magazine thought so highly of our website. We are constantly trying to improve the air quality information on our site, as it is an important local issue that people are interested in.
'Further improvements will be made next year when real time data fed back directly from our monitoring stations around the borough will be available on the website. So people will be able to get up-to-date information about the quality of the air that they're breathing.'
The address of the council's website is www.epnbc.gov.uk . For air quality information click onthe "Airwatch" logo.
For full details of Air Quality Management's study of local authority websites visit www.air-quality-management.co.uk
