CLEANER AIR FOR CONSTITUENTS

– PROGRESS WELCOMED BY COUNCIL CHAIRMAN

Strabane District Council Chairman, Councillor Thomas Kerrigan has welcomed the "clear progress" on air quality in Strabane District following the publication of the Air Quality Monitoring in Northern Ireland report. The number of dangerous particles in our air has fallen as a result of the introduction of Air Quality Management Zones and moves to install oil fired central heating in homes within designated areas.

Chief Environmental Health Officer, Paddy Cosgrove explained:

"Over the last year, Strabane District Council has been concentrating on reducing the number of PM10's in the air. PM10's are fine particles that have the potential to carry cancer-causing substances deep into the lungs. They can cause inflammation and aggravate those with heart and lung diseases. The main source of PM10's are coal fires so Strabane District Council introduced Air Quality Management Zones and installed

oil fired central heating into homes within the specific areas. As a result of these measures we have achieved our air quality targets for the first time ever and the recent Department of the Environment Report has given Strabane District the 'all clear".

Chairman of the Council Councillor Thomas Kerrigan said, 'I am delighted with the progress that has been made to eliminate this problem. Strabane District Council was working closely with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, the Northern Ireland Electricity Levy Scheme, the Department of Social Development, the Health Action Zone and the Environment and Heritage Service to reduce this problem. We have made clear progress and hope to build on this towards further targets in 2010.

The Chief Environmental Health Officer, also stated that he hoped to continue the strategy of heating replacement in 2007:

To further improve our air quality and energy efficiency in the home we have applied to widen the scheme beyond the Air Quality Action Areas. This time round, if our application is successful, we hope to open the scheme to the whole Council area".

He further added, ""There is a means tested element to the scheme. If you contact the Environmental Health Department we can tell you immediately if you qualify. We can also point you in the direction of other agencies that can help, and if you missed out the first time round, don't worry, you can apply again. All the information is on the Strabane District Council website (www.strabanedc.com) under Latest News. If the funding application is successful, work should begin by April 2007" f your home has no central heating, is dependent on coal or other solid fuel for heating, then you could be eligible for free oil fired central heating and home insulation.

If the Council's application is successful, work could start in April 2007. To see if you are eligible contact; Environmental Health Department, Strabane District Council, 47 Derry Road, Strabane, 028 7138 1311 or ehealth@strabanedc.com