THE operators of the Fife Ethylene Plant have expressed their disappointment at the refusal by the Mossmorran Action Group (MAG) to meet with plant representatives.

Having offered three possible dates to meet – originally alongside elected representatives from local communities – a subsequent meeting was agreed but then declined by MAG due to their demands on filming not being met.

Stuart Neill, external affairs manager for the Fife Ethylene Plant, said: “We had very much hoped that MAG would accept our invitation to meet directly with us on-site, to gain important insights first-hand about how FEP is run.

“Despite MAG’s repeated accusations that our company is engaging in ‘propaganda’, it is disappointing that demands to film the meeting are being put ahead of what we hoped would be constructive dialogue – particularly as MAG’s meetings with other organisations were not subject to such conditions.

“Our priority, however, is our local residents and responding to the issues that matter to them. We are actively reaching out to them - and those they elected to represent their interests – to agree a series of public meetings.

“Our door remains open for MAG to meet us at any time.”

MAG responded: “ExxonMobil refused to attend two public meetings and have steadfastly refused to give us a date of their choosing for a public meeting which would include regulators and politicians and be open to all.

"Exxon have never justified why they have refused to hear directly the concerns of people in the local area at such a forum, and we can only assume it is because they do not want an open meeting at which press and public can judge their performance for themselves.

"What they are having now is private meetings with selected “representatives” which exclude the press and public and which the Exxon PR machine then extracts maximum positive publicity from.

"None of these meetings alleviate the impacts residents are suffering one jot - nor do they do anything to allay community fears.

"Trust in ExxonMobil, the main culprit behind the most excessive flaring, is at rock bottom. PR manoeuvrings, like this statement, show that Exxon haven’t got the first idea of how to build a relationship of real trust and respect with their neighbours".

The statement added: "2000 plus residents have joined Mossmorran Action Group who have only come together because they felt that the voices of residents impacted by the plant’s operators were not being listened to by regulators, politicians, Shell and Exxon.

"Regulators, politicians and Shell have started listening to us, but ExxonMobil think they don’t have to and that they can run roughshod over us as they have done over local communities for decades.

"We are still waiting for Exxon to name a date for a public meeting. If they are worried about how we organise our public meetings, they can view the video recordings of the last two for reassurance.”