A sceptical councillor has called for permanent monitoring equipment to be set up in Castle Point after BP confirmed it is not to blame for odours plaguing the borough.
BP Refinery shift co-ordinator Andy Brown attended a health, housing, highways and leisure overview and scrutiny meeting to present the findings of a investigation carried out earlier this year.
The investigation, carried out independently of the Coryton Refinery, showed the site was not responsible for the odours that have seen residents suffering from stinging eyes and vomiting.
In just three months, 172 complaints were lodged about the smells.
Committee chairman Bill Dick said he believed the problem would not be resolved until a permanent odour monitoring system was put into place.
He said: "Currently there is no monitoring equipment in the borough whatsoever."
Mr Dick insisted he was not blaming BP, but residents still had no answers to their questions on what was affecting the borough's air quality.
Mr Dick added permanent monitoring equipment was needed across the borough if the issue was every going to be solved.
An oil company spokesman said: "Occasionally we are responsible for a short-term odour, something which we fully admit to every time.
"However, the smell in question in this case, which we were found not to be responsible for, was a long-term problem."
Published Monday August 2, 2004
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