March 12, 2011Dear Sir,I have opposed previous planning applications for Belco expansions because of their continued reliance on fossil fuels and their total disregard of the environmental and health consequences of their smoke stack emissions. They have made numerous promises in the past, of which there is little evidence of them honouring, but they seem to be listening at last and I am hopeful that their commitment to introducing renewable resources are not just words this time round and also hope that they will soon agree with Government where satellite generation and distribution facilities will be built for the east and west ends of the Island. We can only wait and see and as the cost of oil continues to rise, grin and bear it. I also accept that they must now upgrade their ageing equipment, although I would have preferred them to have stayed out of “The Box” and farther away from Mount Hill and Berkeley School.Belco knows exactly what goes up their flue stacks from every single engine they operate and I would hope that when the Ministry of the Environment reviews their plans they will take into consideration that in many different wind conditions that the emissions from the stacks, tall and short, blow down to lower elevations and often to ground level.Another consideration is that of rain. When it rains the water droplets act like wet scrubbers and whatever drifts away from Serpentine Road in the brown smudged plumes is washed down into our gardens and more importantly into our water tanks. Belco have done the studies on tank sediments and when the sediments are stirred up during heavy rains or by the delivery of a truck load of water the water quality can be far from acceptable based upon internationally accepted standards.All Pembroke residents would wish to see Belco’s activities made quieter, less odorous and less environmentally damaging. The people of Devonshire are protected from harmful emissions from Tynes Bay by scrubbers, why is Belco continually allowed to pollute its neighbour’s properties?HOPING FOR PROTECTION’Pembrok