Live site recording of emergency siren testing with text list of multinationals who operate at Avonmouth,Bristol, UK
Avonmouth, Bristol UK is a port, with a large population in proximity to a range of heavy industries including oil,gas,coal,chemical and nitrate production
In 1996 there was an accident releasing a cloud of toxic gas into the air. Luckily there were no casualties.
The multinational corporations based at Avonmouth are covered by a set of regulations (COMAH) to ensure that they have adequate health and safety measures in place. In reality these are voluntary agreements. A group of concerned citizens got together and found that there were no plans to deal with accidents and set up the Severnside Siren Trust,with contributions from the corporations and Bristol Council Taxpayers (public) money.With this money they installed a network of sirens to alert members of the public if there is an accident.It is tested once a month.
There are no sirens in place to measure the effect of the daily activities of the industries at Avonmouth on the local population.
There is also a long term threat of flooding from rising sea levels as Aonmouth was built on a flood plain. Coal is imported from South Africa and burnt, the worst source of CO2.It is possible the siren could be used to warn about this new threat.
see: http://www.foe.co.uk/pubsinfo/briefings/html/19971215145345.html
Worm Ecology - http://www.jstor.org/pss/2389593
"It's just Steam.." - http://www.cotch.net/image/397790946
"Income Pollution" - http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/reports/income_pollution.html
Walk from M32 motorway during rush hour to Stapleton Road, Easton, Bristol UK
M32, large motorway built in the 1970's, dividing the communities of St Paul's and Easton. It was built with minimal consultation"The M32 is the motorway that runs into the heart of Bristol from the M4 (London to South Wales). It carries over 80,000 vehicles per day and links the M4 north of the city with the city centre. It runs into the Broadmead Expansion area where it becomes Newfoundland Way, which is not classed as a motorway. The City Council will shortly take over responsibility for this road from the national authority, the Highways Agency. The location of the road is problematic for a number of reasons: it divides the two communities of Easton and St. Paul’s, it generates a high level of vehicle emissions leading to declaration of an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) along its length (see Figure 30), and it also generates high levels of noise due to the high traffic flows and speeds. Additionally, part of the motorway between junctions 1 and 3 is elevated above the ground approximately 8 – 10 metres and is in close proximity (10 – 30 metres) to residential properties in this elevated section. This means that air and noise pollution impact disproportionately on the residents of these properties, adversely affecting their quality of life and potentially, their health." Bristol City Council document
Stapleton Road called the 'most dangerous road in britain' by tabloid media.
http://thebristolblogger.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/bb-roadwatch-a-touch-of-class/
Racism and the State: Bristol: ‘civilising’ the inner city - http://rac.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/48/4/97
Stapleton Road - http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-135594.html and http://thebristolblogger.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/u-turning-and-u-turning-in-the-widening-mire/