West Linton quarry: Borders man fears catastrophic gas leak

Stonepack Ltd, a company which provides the construction industry with sand and gravel, wants to extract 1.5 million tonnes of materials from a site at Slipperfield, near West Linton, over 15 years.

But retired forest officer Jim Pratt, 77, says he is worried about the proposed site running across pipelines carrying ethylene, a highly flammable and reactive gas.

In a letter sent to the Peeblesshire News, Mr Pratt said: “Ethylene is highly explosive and toxic (800ppm is fatal).

Grassland at Slipperfield in 1991. Photo: Jim Pratt

“If a crack within the pipeline casing occurs and ethylene escapes, on its release from pressurisation it instantly cools to temperatures as low as -104°C.

“Steel exposed to this temperature can fail, and what starts as a small crack can instantly enlarge because of the high pressure inside the pipe. 

“This would release further ethylene into the environment, where it is a direct threat to human life because of its extreme low temperature, its toxicity and its flammability.

“An explosion within the confines of the pipe at its point of rupture can generate supersonic pressure waves within the pipeline, and widespread and catastrophic damage can occur down the pipeline, some distance from the site of the explosion.”

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The pipeline was put in place in the 1970s and is supported by trenches, says Mr Pratt, but the pensioner is concerned that the quarry could result in pipes being undermined by water if sand and gravel are dug up from either side.

“If approved, I’m sure responsible planners and developers will make every effort to avoid damage that could lead to catastrophic release of ethylene and will seek to reassure the public that every eventuality is taken care of. And I would encourage them to do so,” writes Mr Pratt.

“But mistakes happen (Titanic is a potent example), and local people should have a chance to make their feelings on this matter known. Further, they should have a say as to whether the benefits to them of a quarry outweigh the anxiety about the hazard it causes to the pipeline.”

The pipeline is not mentioned in the Pre-Application Consultation by Dalgleish Associates, the company commissioned by Stonepack to prepare a planning application for the proposed quarry.

The lack of mention in the proposals “concerns” Mr Pratt, which led to him writing his letter.

Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Pratt said: “I don’t want to be poisoned, I don’t want to be frozen. I want to make sure that none of this is swept under the carpet.

“I want to bring these issues to the attention of people like me who weren’t aware of it.”

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Rob Latimer, from Dalgleish Associates, said: “The project team is of course aware of the pipeline. This issue was discussed at some length at the Pre-Application Consultation event, which was held online on October 20.

“Discussion with the pipeline owner is ongoing. The purpose of Pre-Application Consultation is to enable interested parties to comment, directly to the applicant, with a view to ensuring all potential effects are considered.

“The application will be finalised with these comments taken into account, and in consultation with Scottish Borders Council and the pipeline owner. The application will ensure that the development has no effect on the pipeline.”

According to Mr Pratt, less than 20 people were present at the online PAC event, while the document still makes no mention of the pipeline. 

Members of the West Linton community have previously opposed sand quarry proposals.

The Quarries Action Group, made up of 150 members, opposed three applications for quarries in 1991, one of them at Slipperfield.