FOE Report
// Factories are more likely to be found in poorer communities:
662 factories are found in areas with average household income of less than £15,000.
5 factories are found in areas with average household income above £30,000
Similar patterns appear at the regional level:
In London, over 90% of polluting factories are in areas with below average income
In the North East, over 80% of polluting factories are in areas with below average income.
The more factories in an area, the poorer it is likely to be:
In Teesside, one area has 17 factories - and an average household income of just £6,200 - 64% less than the national average.
UK factories release large quantities of health-threatening chemicals. At the time of this study, official data showed that the worst factory - Associated Octel in the South Wirral - had released more than 5,300 tonnes of carcinogens. Overall, factories in the UK had churned out 1.3 million tonnes of sulphur dioxide, and 650,000 tonnes of nitrogen dioxide annually.
We cannot be sure how much ill-health these emissions cause - for any illness could be caused by any number of factors (such as diet, housing or smoking), or factors working together. But these figures show that it is the poorest who are hit hardest by industrial pollution. On top of unemployment and crime, these families and communities face the grime of industrial pollution. Here pollution is as far from a middle class concern as it can get. This pollution adds to the multiple deprivations these communities face, and environmental pollution is a clear component of social exclusion. //