Unplanned flaring at a Fife chemical plant is causing houses to vibrate and windows and doors to rattle, according to nearby residents.
People living near the Mossmorran petrochemical plant were first alerted by a roar followed by loud rumbling noises at 09:50.
Others have reported a noise like a “constant jet engine” and said they were “very angry” about the situation.
Owners ExxonMobil apologised and said it would stop later.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has urged residents to report any pollution by email.
‘Getting worse’
James Glen, Mossmorran Action Group chairman, told the BBC Scotland news website: “The issues have never been addressed and are getting worse and worse and are becoming more frequent.
“People are very angry now as they have been putting up with it since 1985.
“We were not notified of this flaring and the first I knew was when I heard a loud roaring overhead and now its like a constant jet engine.
“There are people reporting their doors and windows vibrating and rattling.
“There needs to be stricter monitoring of this site.”
Richard Innes, 68, a resident in Lochgelly who overlooks the site, said: “I was sitting at home when I was disturbed by rumbling and a loud noise from the direction of the site and then I saw a huge flame and it was quite apparent something had seriously come adrift because we hadn’t been notified.
“I’m very annoyed about this because the noise is so powerful it’s causing the house to vibrate. We have had tumblers and crockery rattling in the past from flaring as it gets so loud.
“It’s too noisy to enjoy the garden and my wife took the washing back in because she didn’t want dust from it to damage our clothes.”
Jacob McAlister, plant manager at the ExxonMobil’s Fife Ethylene Plant, said: “As a result of a mechanical issue, we are operating our elevated flare.
“Our teams have quickly identified the cause and we are confident that we will return to normal operations later today. We apologise for any inconvenience this is causing and would like to assure everyone that there is no danger to our communities or staff on site.”
A Sepa spokeswoman said: “We are aware of currently unplanned flaring at the ExxonMobil Chemical Complex, Mossmorran, Fife.
“Sepa officers are responding and are currently seeking to establish further information, including cause and duration.”
Content provided by the BBC. Original piece can be found here https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-48638709