View - North East Lincolnshire Council

BOC Immingham Dissolved Acetylene Project Environmental Statement: Vol. 2 Main Text
Local Air Quality
6.53 The Project site lies within the boundaries of NELC. The Council has declared two AQMAs, due to
likely exceedences of national air quality objectives. The nearest AQMA is located in the
settlement of Immingham, approximately 3 km north west of the development site. It was declared
in October 2006 following monitoring results in excess of the 24-hour objective for PM10 in 2004
and 2005. It encompasses properties near the junction of Kings Road and Pelham Road and
some properties in Hawthorn Avenue. The second AQMA, declared in September 2010 for a
breach in the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) annual mean objective, encompasses a number of properties
on Cleethorpes Road in Grimsby and is over 6 km south east of the development site. A decision
regarding the potential revocation of the Immingham PM10 AQMA has been deferred.
6.54 Concentrations of NO2, sulphur dioxide (SO2), PM10 and ozone are measured continuously at
three sites within NELC’s area. Two sites are located in Immingham: Kings Road (roadside) and
Woodlands Avenue (urban background); the third site is located at Fryston House in Grimsby. The
2011 Air Quality Progress Report 30 indicates that none of these sites provided measured
concentrations above the AQS objectives for PM10 or NO2 in 2010 (see Table 6.3). Monitoring
results for SO2 indicate that the 15 minute objective is unlikely to be breached at either site in
Immingham, and in turn neither the hourly or daily mean objectives are at risk of being exceeded.
Table 6.3 Summary of 2010 Continuous Monitoring Data
Pollutant Averaging Period Objective Kings Road Woodlands
Avenue
NO2
PM10
Annual mean 40 31.4 35.1
Hourly mean (no. of
exceedences)
18 7 0
Annual mean 40 20.7 26.0
Daily mean (no. of
exceedences)
35 3 9
6.55 The Council also operates a network of 34 diffusion tubes measuring NO2, located predominantly
in Grimsby and Cleethorpes with the exception of those tubes co-located with continuous
monitoring sites in Immingham. The co-located tubes at Kings Road, Immingham recorded
concentrations in excess of the annual mean objective (37.3 to 44.0 µg/m 3 ) during 2010. However,
this monitoring site is located close to the kerbside while the nearest properties are located across
the road some 6 to 8 m back from the kerb; hence it is considered unlikely that the annual mean
objective of 40 µg/m 3 would be exceeded at the façade of these properties.
6.56 In 2010, five Osiris particulate monitors were located at the docks, and a further three in
residential areas of Immingham. These provide indicative data used to react to pollution incidents
in the Immingham area and identify sources of dust pollution in the local area. The latest available
reports do not provide information on dust deposition rates.
6.57 NELC’s 2010 Air Quality Progress Report 30 confirmed there has been no change since their 2009
report with respect to industrial pollution sources, such that there have been no industrial
installations with substantially increased emissions or new relevant source of exposure within the
local authority area. In addition there are no major petrol fuel storage depots in the council area,
nor any petrol stations meeting the criteria for relevant exposure to benzene.
6.58 In summary, the available monitoring data for the Immingham area suggest that the air quality is
generally good, and that national objectives at the development site are likely to be met, as would
be anticipated given its predominantly rural location. It is considered unlikely that the development
would have a material effect on the Immingham AQMA, over 3 km away.
5100935.404 Environmental Statement August 2011 78