Deaths and Injuries at Buchan's if Gas Plant Blows

Deaths and Injuries at Buchan's if Gas Plant Blows

Neither Manweb's owner, Scottish Power, nor the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have bothered to inform the 150 staff at Buchan's Concrete works, King's Lane, Byley that their lives are at risk if Scottish Power's planned Gas Plant blows up. Some 5% of Buchan's staff could be killed, according to an HSE report prepared following planning applications put in by Scottish Power. Using standardised techniques including computer simulations, HSE have assessed various risk scenarios for the Gas Processing Plant at Byley including a major explosion - which HSE predict would kill 50% of all employees on the processing site and 1-5% of personnel at Buchan's works with further severe injuries and collateral damage.

It may come as news to Buchan's staff that a major multi-national company plans to put a possible disaster right next door, and that the risk of their deaths has been calmly calculated by a Government-appointed body without mentioning it to them. Is this the price to be paid by a rural community for the benefit of Scottish Power's shareholders? Perhaps not as both Congleton and Vale Royal Borough Councils have formally advised Cheshire County Council to say "no" to the planning applications when a decision is made on September 11th or later. Dr John Edwards, Press and Media Officer,