Company pleads guilty after disturbing incident at chemical plant: 'Both preventable and unacceptable'

Petrochemical companies produce more than their fair share of pollution at the best of times. When something goes wrong, such as a spill, a leak, or a shutdown, the impact can be even more severe. 

In October, a chemical company in Scotland faced legal consequences for a 20-day incident that produced pollution and disruptive noise that exceeded the legal limit, Scottish Legal News reported.

What's happening?

Between April 7 and April 26, 2019, ExxonMobil Chemical's Cowdenbeath plant unexpectedly shut down. The company dealt with excess fuel during that time by "flaring," or burning it off and simply releasing the fumes into the sky. The plant flared continuously for five days.

The Scottish Environmental and Protection Agency received over 900 complaints from locals regarding the incident. The noise and smoke were alarming to residents, who feared an explosion or thought they were hearing the sound of a jet engine. 

Why is this incident of excessive pollution important?

Besides just being alarming to residents, this incident of continuous flaring has potential negative health effects. Fumes from burning dirty fuels are notoriously toxic, and at least one study has linked this type of flaring to premature deaths.

Meanwhile, a major component of the pollution being released is carbon dioxide, a heat-trapping gas. Incidents like this one contribute to the overheating of the planet, which affects everyone.

What's being done about the pollution?

In October, Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court found that ExxonMobil Chemical had violated pollution control regulations and fined it £176,000 (about $233,000) for the infraction.

"The law in Scotland and the terms of the permits granted to companies involved in running petrochemical plants holds those companies to high standards designed to mitigate the risks of pollution and of causing disruption or harm to the general public," said Iain Batho, the environmental lead for the Crown Office, Scotland's prosecutor, as quoted by Scottish Legal News. 

"On this occasion ExxonMobil Chemical Ltd fell below those standards and breached the terms of their permit. The impact of the unplanned flaring from Mossmorran in April 2019 was both preventable and unacceptable and it caused substantial stress and anxiety to people living within several miles of the plant."

Batho concluded, saying, "The conviction in this case highlights that large global companies will ultimately be held to account for breaches of environmental legislation in Scotland and recognises the significant impact that this incident had on local communities."

Do you worry about having toxic forever chemicals in your home? Majorly 😥 Sometimes 😟 Not really 😐 I don't know enough about them 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.