Water will be taken from the Forth to dampen ash which has left dust clouds hovering over west Fife’s villages.
The problem stems from Valleyfield Ash Lagoons, used to store waste from the redundant Longannet power station.
When it was still operational the ash was mixed with water and safely deposited in the lagoon but a prolonged spell of dry weather has caused the lagoons to dry out, with ash being carried on the wind.
The matter has been taken up by local MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville who said: “Scottish Power have told me that they have doubled the number of vehicles being used to dampen the ash, and that they have located a water source which they are using to facilitate this increased work.
“With increased dampening, ScottishPower are working to resolve this issue as soon as possible.
“Although SEPA have confirmed that there is no asbestos present in the ash cloud, which was a concern that had been raised by locals, this is a serious issue.
“There are serious health and environmental implications concerning the ash cloud, and I would urge ScottishPower to act swiftly.”
A ScottishPower spokesperson said: “We are doing everything we can to reduce the dust lifting, which has been the result of the exceptionally dry and windy weather experienced recently.
“We’d like to reassure residents that the dust is not considered to be hazardous.”
The company has brought additional equipment into the site including water cannons and this week has had approval from SEPA to use water directly from the river Forth to support its dust suppression work.
“We are confident these efforts will significantly reduce the volume of dust that has been lifting from the site and we will work tirelessly to prevent this situation occurring again in future.
“We’d like to apologise to local residents for the disruption that has been caused and any inconvenience this has had,” the spokesperson added.
A spokesperson for SEPA confirmed it had received “numerous” complaints of dust affecting local residents.
“While the dust is not expected to have any adverse impact on the local environment, emissions from the ash lagoons are a breach of ScottishPower’s permit for the site.
“SEPA officers have instructed ScottishPower to suppress dust from the ash lagoons immediately and SEPA officers will consider any enforcement action necessary to ensure ScottishPower takes all necessary steps to prevent further dust emissions.
NHS Fife’s director of public health, Dr Margaret Hannah, said: “Breathing in dust can be bad for your health, especially if you have asthma or other lung disease already.
“For this reason, while we do not believe the type of fine ash in west Fife presents a greater health risk than other fine dusts, those in the affected area are best advised to avoid inhaling the dust wherever possible.
“This may involve, for example, shutting windows and doors when it is dusty outside.”
