Mossmorran bosses reject invite to public meeting

Bosses from Fife Ethylene Plant have said they will not attend a public meeting over concerns about flaring at Mossmorran.

They were invited to join the panel at the Mossmorran Action group (MAG) event on Friday at Lochgelly Town Hall.

But senior figures at the plant – which has been de-commissioned for the past six months – said it did not offer “a proper opportunity for reasoned and factual discussion.”

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Friday’s mneeting is the fourth organised by MAG which has led criticism of the plant’s flaring which has sparked a backlash in local communities and from politicians.

It was called, it said, in response to “unprecedented levels of concern” in local communities .

The group has extended invites to representatives from SEPA, HSE, and ExxonMobil, as well as Roseanna Cunningham, Environment Minister, and Paul Wheelhouse, Energy Minister, plus local councillors and MSPs.

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A spokesman for Fife Ethylene Plant said: “We are actively undertaking a programme of public meetings with our local communities, coordinated through elected community councils.

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“These conversations allow us to hear a range of views, share facts and answer questions, as well as enabling direct discussion between the public and ExxonMobil senior managers. Each meeting has been well attended and constructive.

“In contrast, previous events hosted by MAG suggest that they do not offer a proper opportunity for reasoned and factual discussion, and are driven by the narrow activist agenda of the MAG leadership, of which the most vocal individuals live more than 30 miles from the plant..”

In response MAG said it was the thir meeting Exxon “had boycotted” adding: “It’s no accident that the community council meetings Exxon champions tend to be poorly advertised, very limited in terms of attendance, are not attended by the press and are not videoed - unlike our public meetings. Nor do these meetings with community councils take place in the immediate aftermath of extreme flaring when the public has the most urgent questions.

“Exxon continues to treat its neighbours with the utmost contempt in refusing to account for its actions publicly.”

The meeting is at Lochgelly Town Hall from 7:00pm.