The costs of coming clean (From Warrington Guardian)

The costs of coming clean

A CHESHIRE county councillor is asking Winsford and Middlewich businesses to contact him if they think they could suffer financially if the Government tightens its air quality laws.

At present, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, is reviewing its national air quality strategy.

Cty Clr Andrew Needham, one of the Conservative environment spokesmen believes that measures to futher control four pollutants which are present in vehicle exhausts and factory chimneys - Benzene, 1-3 Butadiene, Carbon Monoxide and Nitrogen Dioxide - would res3ult in extra costs for businesses.

He believes that the Government's new targets on lead can be achieved by the planned phasing-out of leaded petrol but that the other four pollutants will be much more of a challenge.

He said: "We need to balance the desire for a better quality of life with the need to ensure our industrial employers continue to operate successfully.

"I believe that under the Government's latest proposals the companies would need to invest in extra equipment to make sure they keep within the guidelines.

"It would be interesting to know what the companies involved thought of these proposals and I am anxious to hear their views."

Cty Clr Needham added: "The Government's own forecasts show that the cost of implementing its new measures in London alone will be over £100 million a year.

"These costs would relate to providing alternative methods of transport management.

"But there is certain to be some impact on our manufacturing companies and I am very concerned about the size of the final bill."

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