The Liverpool Times

Smell of Sonae

The smell of the Sonae pollution was reported again by several residents of Northwood Kirkby on the 24th of October. Sonae is a Portuguese owned chipboard manufacturing plant in Kirkby, overshadowing the Northwood community and a constant source of various pollutants since it was set up. Sonae were behind moves to close down The Kirkby Times in the third legal ban before we decided to become The Liverpool Times. (We might as well be damned for the whole city) An employee working for a local firm connected to Sonae, was accused of passing information to The Kirkby Times. He was fired, leaving him in the unenviable position of being unemployed whilst trying to raise a family. The accusations against the employee were a pack of lies.

Below, the wood dust mountains of Sonae, dated Oct 2006.

Sonae have polluted Kirkby and surrounding areas and have been bought to task several times in the local magistrate’s court. However, despite the frequent visits to the courts, and the fines issued for polluting the environment, the management of Sonae seems to be able to avoid any personal responsibility for the pollution which has damaged the local environment under the ‘watchful’ eyes of the local authorities.

This is in an age in which councils will fine people for putting an envelope in the green recycling bin or for letting your dog foul the footpath. (if you’re an oap with a Jack Russell, not a scally with a Devil Dog) The laws concerning corporate environmental issues are not adhered to and rarely are they policed. Sonae can pour out tonnes of dust each year. No reported survey has ever been taken as regards the quantity of dust which blows over Kirkby and surrounding areas. This dust is carcinogenic. It can be a factor in the development of cancer – but local school children can be seen within the pollution zone, sometimes on days when the conditions are such that you can noticeably smell the Sonae factory pollution within a 1 miles radius, sometimes further.

Local jobs for local people?

Knowsley councils only possible positive response to the community of Northwood, is that Sonae created jobs for local people. There is no other positive aspect to the move if you think about it logically. However, The Liverpool Times can report that the ratio of local workers in Sonae is extremely questionable. Sources close to Sonae have pointed to the increasing employment of foreign workers through agencies. ( a subject we won’t ignore) If this is true, then Knowsley councils only possible reason for having this polluting blot on the Kirkby Landscape, is no longer part of the argument. It would be easy for local councillors to simply give us a summary of how many workers in Sonae are actually local people.

Health and Safety Executive and Sonae

Sonae recently featured in the Health and Safety Executives in house magazine. We were requested to provide a photo of the factory as we have the largest library of Sonae related photographs, including the dust mountain fires and the explosion which blew the roof off the place and almost killed a worker. No news of this Sonae story has graced the local media. We will publish the article as soon as we obtain a copy.

What is Portuguese for lying?

Since we last reported on Sonae over on The Kirkby Times, a lot has happened. The chimney has grown in length, as if it helps the matter by spreading the pollution coming out from the chimney. Sonae originally claimed, in the free local council paper, that what came out of the chimney was steam. I’m not sure what the Portuguese word for lying is – maybe its Sonae. The only reason the chimney has actually gotten bigger is that the factory has been producing more chipboard. Hence, more pollution all round for the people who live close to it.

Below, bigger chimney = less pollution? Maybe if you build it a bit higher than the ozone layer perhaps.

If anyone wishes to stand on what is left of the Windy Arbour field, facing Sonae, you will see that the night time pollution from Sonae is not limited to the chimney. There are many vent systems churning out various pollutants – and a part of the Sonae roof has been missing since the explosion – perhaps as a method to limit the next explosion.

Any time the wind blows and the weather gets a bit dry, the dust from Sonae still covers Northwood, affecting local primary schools and a population in which respiratory diseases are there across the board, from asthma in the kids, to the various diseases and conditions which affect the middle aged and elderly. Building Sonae is an area that already had worrying statistics in these matters is an insult to the people of Kirkby.

We call upon any Sonae workers past or present, and anyone out with information to send it to the Liverpool Times for inclusion on stopsonae.co.uk, which will be launched pretty soon.