McLaughlin: Time for clean air across North

THE SDLP has called for much tougher action to clean up air quality in the North of Ireland.

In its submission to the Daera consultation document ‘Clean Air Strategy for NI’, the party called for new legal powers to end the sale of dirty coal that is blighting the air quality of the North’s urban areas.

Dirty air is causing over 500 premature deaths in the North every year, while poor air quality inside and outside the home is leading to still births and low birth weights.

The party called for increased investment in clean technologies.

SDLP energy spokeswoman and Foyle MLA Sinead McLaughlin said: “Dirty air is killing people in Derry and the North West. Clean energy sources are available and must be promoted.

“It is time to end the sale of dirty coal, which is a major cause of air pollution. This is a pressing challenge as we have seen that mortality rates from Covid-19 are closely related to the level of air pollution.

“We must increase our investment in clean energy technologies and in renewable sources. This means a much faster transformation to the use of heat pumps and geothermal, for example.

“This must be backed up by more air monitoring stations, to enable government departments, councils and residents to know more about local air quality and the causes of air pollution.

“This is a particular and serious problem for Derry and the North West. Monitoring stations in the city show that in winter we suffer very high levels of air pollution that is related to the burning of solid fuels.

“It is essential for the health of our local population that we adopt our housing stock to clean energy sources.

“Clean air has to be a priority for all of the Executive. Our crisis with air pollution is another symptom of the inability of government departments to work with each other.

“It is absurd that while Daera has responsibility for air quality, it is the Department for the Economy that is responsible for the energy policy that produces much of the problem with air quality.

“SDLP infrastructure minister Nichola Mallon has demonstrated her commitment to cleaning-up traffic-related air pollution with the introduction of hydrogen and electric buses.

“It is time for other ministers to show the same level of commitment and urgency.”

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