People in Port Talbot have been describing how their cars have been covered in a dust that won't clean off. Steve Evans, who lives in Somerset Street in Port Talbot is one of them.
He described how his red Volvo V40 vehicle and white Ford camper van had been left damaged by the dust which he claimed had created a rust and affected the paintwork of the vehicles. He claimed every car on his street and neighbouring streets had suffered a similar fate.
It is not the first time vehicles have been left covered in dust. In May last year, we reported how drivers had noticed coloured dust clouds as they hit the roads around the town, and others had been finding it on their windowsills. It was even claimed that pets had been made ill after walking in it then grooming themselves. You can read more about that by clicking here.
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Mr Evans, 42, explained how he had lived in the town for two and a half decades, and that he had experienced his car being covered in dust before, but this was the worst his vehicles had been affected. Get stories like this straight to your inbox with our newsletters.
He claimed: "It has caused a hell of a mess, not just for me but all of the people on the street and surrounding streets. I have lived here on Somerset Street, which is directly opposite the steelworks for about 25 years. We normally get the red or black dust on our cars, but this time it is dust particles. I took my car to a valeters and they managed to remove some of the grittiness but this has gone into the paintwork of the car. It's ridiculous. There's two or three cars on the street less than two months old which have been damaged.
"It's by far the worst I have seen since I have lived here."
He said it coincided with some loud noises from the Tata steelworks, which people have previously claimed is linked to the dust. "There is a pressure release valve on the top of the blast furnace, a safety device so when the pressure gets to a certain level it goes off. It went off three times that day - on Tuesday, January 3 - it was open from about 5.30pm until 11.30pm, and it just constantly rumbled and rumbled.
"I go to the Warehouse gym in Taibach and I train upstairs in the MMA section. A couple of boys thought it was high wind but it was the steelworks. It continuously went off for hours. When I went out the next morning and I saw the van you could see the dust particles. I paid £12,000 for the Volvo twelve months ago. I'm absolutely gutted. I spoke to someone who does car detailing, and they said to get it off, they'd have to take a layer of paint off."
In November, 2022, people in Port Talbot told how homes, clothes and even drinks turned pink from dust. Port Talbot mum Donna Ruddock, who lives in Penrhyn Street, said at the time: "There's red dust everywhere, all the time. It's on the car, the caravan, on my house. The window ledges get black dust as well. You can't leave anything out on the line - you'd have to wash it again!"
The issue has been going on for years, according to people who live there. At the time of the November report a Tata Steel spokesperson said: "We are very much committed to the continued investment in our Port Talbot site to reduce our impact on the climate and the local environment, and it remains one of our top priorities.
"Over the last three years we have spent £22million on environmental improvement schemes at Port Talbot, which amongst other things include upgraded dust suppression and fume extraction systems at our raw materials, Blast Furnace and steelplant operations. We have also invested in improved PM10 (particulate matter in the air below a certain size) and dust monitoring systems, which allow corrective and preventative actions when we encounter any periods of operational instability such as those we have experienced recently at the Blast Furnaces.
"We value our strong relationship with Natural Resources Wales that ensures not only that we operate within the legal limits set for our industry, but also that we act promptly and robustly to any incidents. We also operate an independent 24/7 community helpline for any local residents who wish to register a concern, which we can then deal with on an individual basis. (0800 138 6560).
"Tata Steel is a company that, maybe more than most, is embedded in the communities in which it operates. As one of the company’s founders, Jamsetji Tata said: 'The community is not just another stakeholder in our business, it is the very reason for its existence’.' So, we are very proud to support numerous local charities, events and good causes, and we are looking to recruit nearly 300 apprentices, graduates and placement students in the coming year alone."
Operations manager for Natural Resources Wales, Caroline Drayton, added at the time: "As regulators of industry in Wales, it's our job to ensure they comply with emission standards set out in law to reduce the impact of their operation on the environment and local people. We continue to regulate Tata Steel through its environmental permit to control emissions from the steelworks, including dust releases, and to drive further environmental improvements."
"Local people experiencing any issues with the site can report it to NRW by calling 03000 65 3000 or online www.naturalresources.wales/reportit or contact Tata Steel by calling its Community Support Line on 0800 138 6560 or online www.tatasteeleurope.com/complaints."
But Mr Evans said he would like Tata to accept responsibility for the damage to the cars. "I've heard they have had more than 200 complaints in the last few days. I've spoken to them twice and I've been told they would get back to me ASAP and send a cleaning team out, but they will send someone out to clean it, but won't accept liability for it."
Tata Steel has been contacted for comment on the latest incidents.
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