A NORTH EAST school has explained its frustration over the "extreme" amount of dust in the area, forcing teachers to sometimes ban playtime outside.
High Clarence Primary School in Port Clarence, near Stockton, has had to deal with constant levels of dust pollution in the area for the past few years.
Now, the school's headteacher has raised concerns over the health and safety of the children exposed to the dust everyday and is demanding something is done.
The area's MP has since hit back, saying residents and businesses have been left blighted by the sheer amount of dust building up.
Speaking to The Northern Echo, headteacher Jean Orridge, explained how dust often sticks to the fences, the playground equipment, while it attaches to people's cars.
She said: “It sticks to the fences, to the playground, people’s cars, and it can be any time of the day, and it’s coming from the riverside across the playground which is constantly covered.
"We’ll pay to get it cleaned but within a couple of weeks it's built up again and we’re in the same situation."
Explaining how the problem had gone on for the past three years, she said: "Lots of people have come down over the last three years to take a look at it and take samples and write reports but there’s seemingly no solution to the problem.
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“Residents have also complained about the amount of dust that’s in their houses and we see it in the school and on the playground because it’s a fine dust but when it gets damp it clogs together like cotton wool.
“The nursery has an outdoor play area which is constantly covered in dust. We put tarpaulin down and then a teacher lifts it up and that’s covered in it as well. I don't know how long are we supposed to put up with it."
Issuing a heartfelt plea for answers, Mrs Orridge said: “We've been told it's not a danger to health, but if you’re constantly exposed to dust there must be some kind of consequence, particularly for children - but we can’t have them play outside when the dust is that bad just to tick a box.
"It’s got to be safe, we have a duty of care.’’
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Last night, Stockton North MP, Alex Cunningham, said he had called upon agencies including the Environment Agency, Stockton Borough Council and the Health & Safety Executive to address the issue.
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Mr Cunningham said: “Residents and local businesses on the Clarences are fed up with dust pollution that has blighted their lives for almost four years and it’s about time we had answers and solutions to this ongoing issue.
“The Environment Agency is carrying out a full investigation, and I was grateful for them meeting with me a few weeks ago to discuss it, but it’s clear to me and others that we need to get all interested parties around the table if we are going to move any further forward.
“That’s why I’m working to pull everyone together, the local community deserves nothing less. They have been more than patient and should not have to suffer any longer”
Recent findings from the Environment Agency have identified the origin of only fifteen percent of the dust.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “Dust emissions can be extremely distressing for those affected and we have been working with Stockton Borough Council for some time to investigate the issue in Port Clarence.
“We regulate waste sites to protect the local community and expect the operators of permitted sites to meet their environmental obligations. Where they do not, we will take appropriate regulatory action.
“We welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue in more detail at the meeting proposed by Alex Cunningham and would urge anyone who experiences any further dust emissions to report them to us via our National Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60.”
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A spokesperson from the Health and Safety Executive said: “While there are no interventions ongoing in relation to dust emission that is work related near the school, we would be willing to join any multi-agency discussion on this matter, if requested to do so.’’
A spokesperson for Stockton Borough Council said it is supporting the Environment Agency in its investigation and is doing all it can to assist.
But on Wednesday afternoon, an energy giant apologised and had accepted responsibility for the school's boom in the dust.
A spokesman for Stobart Energy, which has a site nearby, said: “Stobart Energy actively reduces its own impact by applying a number of measures to ensure it does not create dust, including the use of mist canons that dampen waste wood to ensure it doesn’t fly away.
“However, the recent record high winds resulting from both Storm Eunice and Storm Franklin were more than our preventative measures are designed to cope with.
“That meant that wood dust did escape our site on this occasion. We apologise for this. We intend to undertake a number of immediate actions.
“We will as a priority contact the nearby school to apologise and seek to build a positive relationship going forward.
“We will also engage cleaning experts to remove the dust.”
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