Clean air campaigners today appealed to power firm Belco to help form a community advisory committee to foster better relations between the power plant and its neighbours.

The Bermuda Clean Air Coalition, whose members include local residents, businesses, and activist groups, has sent short and long term recommendations to Belco after consultation with local residents who have suffered pollution problems because of the power plant.

A spokeswoman for BCAC said: “A key recommendation is the establishment of a community advisory committee.

“The committee, made up of three Belco representatives, three community members from BCAC, and three environmental experts, would propose procedures and activities related to addressing the pollution, property damage and other nuisances being caused by the plant.

”Examples would include input on the development of criteria for the fair assessment of ongoing complaints and keeping an immediate pulse on community concerns.“

But she added: “This committee would in no way assume that it has a say in the business decisions of Belco.

“Instead, its primary function would be to provide ongoing access to the community, along with informed input and feedback as deemed necessary.”

The pressure group’s concerns include fumes and soot emissions, damage to property and the cost of buying clean drinking water.

Others include the need to repaint roofs because of fallout from smokestacks and higher electricity bills as windows cannot be opened because of pollution from the plant on Pembroke’s Serpentine Road.

The BCAC spokeswoman added the group also wanted more information from Belco on modifications to improve generator performance introduced to reduce soot emissions.

BCAC asked Belco to reply by last Friday, but the firm asked for more time.

The firm said it would respond to BCAC’s comments tomorrow.

For more information about BCAC, call 332-2996 or e-mail bdacleanaircoalition@gmail.com