Mid Ulster District Council’s development committee has called on the local authority to send a letter to residents of two roads in Co Tyrone where the air is, according to a councillor, “not fit for human consumption”.
An air quality report presented to members of the committee at its meeting on Thursday, October 13, shows three air quality management areas (AQMA) in the district are located at Newell Road in Dungannon, Charlemont Street in Moy and Magherafelt town centre.
In two of these locations the levels of nitrogen dioxide have exceeded the air quality goal of 40µg/m³. The Newell Road, Dungannon AQMA the level of nitrogen oxide in the air is 45µg/m³ and in Charlemont Street, Moy it is 47µg/m³.
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Cllr Dominic Molloy said council needs to do more than “note the contents of the report and hope these readings continue to show signs of improvement”.
“There are people living in these spots and God knows what they are consuming in terms of air quality,” he said.
“These are residential areas so I think, possibly, we should look at engaging with Road Service to see what can be done to reduce the pollution.”
Cllr Barry Monteith said he agreed with Cllr Molloy and called for immediate action to protect those living in areas where the air is “not fit for human consumption”.
“How can we say the air outside these properties is not fit for humans to be breathing but yet, in some of these houses, a single pane of glass is enough to protect homes where people are sleeping and living,” he asked.
“This is a very real public health issue which I don’t believe we are taking seriously enough.
“I would propose there is an urgent meeting involving all councillors who want to go, Road Service and the environmental health department, to look at the legislation that may be available, not just in relation to air pollution but to the fitness of those homes and to the long term health of the folk living there.
“We have known now for six years the air outside these properties is not fit for human beings to be breathing. Have we informed those folk? I would argue there is a duty of care on us to do so.
“I have spoken to some of the residents in Dungannon and some of them are aware of it, some of them aren’t. I think it is wrong we are not telling them and we need to do that with utmost urgency.”
Cllr Dan Kerr concurred with Cllr Monteith telling the chamber “residents should be informed ASAP about the air quality that is not fit for human consumption”.
Council’s strategic director of communities and place, Ryan Black, said Council is seeking a meeting with all relevant stakeholders to try to reduce the level of nitrogen dioxide in the area. He also reminded the chamber the air quality report is publicly available data.
Cllr Monteith proposed a letter should be sent from Council to residents of these streets, “in a number of languages”, informing them of the situation.
This proposal was seconded by Cllr Molloy who said he was of the view that, in a similar fashion to residents on the Newell Road in Dungannon, most of the residents of Charlemont Street in Moy would not list English as their first language.
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“I think that would be the case in (Charlemont Street) Moy as well,” he said.
“Those who live in these multiple use flats would not class English as their first language and I think it is telling that migrant workers are in these properties. You only have to sit outside them to see the blackness and soot that accumulates and it tells you what these people are breathing in regularly.”
When Mr Black suggested council takes legal advice before the letter is sent, Cllr Monteith said he had no problem with that provided it was sought quickly but did query why it would be needed.
“If there was a public health emergency we were dealing with we would engage with local residents, this is a public health emergency,” said Cllr Monteith.
“For six years the air in this area has been recognised as not fit for human consumption. I don’t see why we need legal opinion, we have a duty of care.”
The committee’s chair, Cllr Kyle Black said with the discussion taking place in open business and the data publicly available he could not imagine there would be an issue.
However, he advised there would be no harm in getting legal advice in time for council’s monthly meeting on Thursday, October 27, where the decision to send the letter is required to be ratified anyway.
“I hope that allows us to progress and move this forward,” he said, bringing debate on the matter to a close."
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