Belco are being urged to pull the plug on plans for a huge extension to their power plant after angry residents raised fears about pollution.

The electricity giants now face a clear-the-air meeting with Pembroke West Central MP Ann Cartwright-DeCouto.

The veteran UBP MP is backing six area residents who claimed they were worried about more emissions from the Belco plant on Serpentine Road.

And she said she had her own fears that houses would start shaking again once the two new engines and a smoke stack were in place by 2000.

Mrs. Cartwright-DeCouto said new smoke stacks built 10 years ago began vibrating when underground caverns caused unforeseen problems.

She has already urged the residents to lodge a group objection against Belco's proposals.

Now she is calling for a meeting with Belco President Garry Madeiros -- and urging the firm to be "more informative'' about its plans.

Mrs. Cartwight-DeCouto said: "The published planning applications last Friday were the first that area residents heard about these proposals.

"As such, there are a number of alert residents who are very concerned about what these plans will mean for emissions.

"In fact, Belco has been a thorn in the side because of its emissions in the district for the past 20 years. I have been battling with them for the last 18 years.

"Now we need to know what safeguards will be in place. Also, as far as I'm concerned, there could be a vibrations problem.

"The last time, several residents felt like they were living on a cruise ship when their houses started shaking.

"I would have thought Belco might have given out some public information about these plans.'' The former Environment Minister said the new Clean Air Act would at least allow better scrutiny of Belco's development, on the eastern side of the power plant.

And her fellow constituency MP, Deputy Premier Jerome Dill, echoed her "serious concerns about environmental issues''.

"I have serious concerns too,'' he said. "I do not want to minimise the genuine concerns of area residents. But I'm hopeful that they can be worked out with Belco.

"I have had a number of discussions with residents on this issue but many people have said they are prepared to wait until the picture becomes clearer before objecting.'' Belco spokeswoman Robin McPhee said the plant extension would increase capacity, allowing the firm to supply more electricity.

She said executives hoped work would start on the 205-foot stack and two engines in the New Year.

A contract could be signed next week and the plans would then be reviewed by the Environmental Authority.

And the new, revised plant would then be open by March 2000.

"We do want to keep the public informed,'' she said, adding that the new development would allow older, less green equipment to be phased out.

"It's just that we're in the middle of the planning process.'' She added that complaints about vibrations were "vastly reduced'' from 15 years ago, following several technical studies conducted by the firm.

"Belco has demonstrated that it is quite receptive to its customers,'' she said. "Our primary concerns involve our customers, especially our area residents.

"There have been complaints about emissions and vibrations in the past and we do take them very seriously indeed.'' The new plant development would increase Belco's energy capacity from 140 to 158 megawatts.

Power surges out of the present plant at an average of 90 megawatts, which will rise above 100 by 2000.

ENVIRONMENT ENV