A SENIOR North Wales Senedd member has called for a health impact statement from the Welsh Government at Chirk’s Kronospan factory. Llyr Gruffydd, member for North Wales, spoke in the chamber last week calling for a long-term assessment of the impact of dust being pumped out of the factory on the town’s health. In recent weeks, residents have complained to Natural Resources Wales – the factory’s regulator – about dust landing on their properties and now their case was taken up by the MS.
He said: “In recent months, long-standing problems with emissions from the site have intensified. “Clouds of microfibres from the plant blight hundreds of homes on a regular basis and that, in turn, clearly raises concerns among local people about any impact that's having on their health. “A recent public meeting in the town heard that, despite acknowledging that the problem existed, the company's management was unable to pinpoint the source of the pollution.
“Clearly that should be a further cause of concern, particularly for the public body charged with monitoring the plant, NRW, but they don't appear to be responding effectively either to local concerns, in particular in terms of the impact on health. “I'm asking for a statement from the Government, outlining what steps you will take to help resolve this situation and how you will step in and protect the health of those living near the site. “In fact, I'd call for a health assessment to measure the long-term impact of.