THE group behind the legal challenge to the Viridor waste incinerator have claimed that Penarth residents will be directly affected by emissions.

Cardiff Against the Incinerator member David Prosser said that they believe fumes from the incinerator will hit Penarth Headland.

He said: "Residents living on Penarth headland will have observed a new twin stack chimney dominating the skyline above Cardiff Bay.

"The 90m twin stack is for Viridor's new waste incinerator, intended each year to burn 350,000 tonnes of industrial commercial and municipal residual waste, this will continue for the next 25 to 30 years.

"The purpose of the 90m stacks is to spread the polluted emissions - two million cubic metres per day- over the whole area.

"Penarth Head, at around 70m, will catch the fumes, particularly with light winds and inverse cold damp weather conditions, when the fumes circulate in the Bay area trapped by the Penarth headland."

Viridor have said that any emissions from the plant would be strictly regulated and would meet legal air quality standards.

Viridor sets out that : "The gas scrubbing technology employed in modern plants is extremely effective.

"The emissions from the plant would be strictly regulated by the Environment Agency and the entire treatment process is designed to meet the requirements not only of local air quality standards but also of the European Waste Incineration Directive."