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Submitting.
The possible action is separate to last year’s submission to prosecute lodged by Scotland’s environmental watchdog, SEPA, after unscheduled flaring sparked hundreds of complaints from local communities.
Fife Ethylene Plant, Mossmorran
The plant owners said the issues raised by the HSE have been resolved, but news of the move to prosecute led to calls from the Scottish Greens to Michael Matheson, the new Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero to take urgent action over the Fife plant.
The latest development comes as FEP begins a £140m refurbishment - and puts the plant back in the public spotlight.
The HSE report centres on the release of hydrocarbons two years ago, and its website lists a number of impacts on health if exposed to them.
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ExxonMobil has no plans to wind down its operations at Mossmorran in what campaigners have described as a “bombshell” for communities.
But FEP’s plant manager Martin Burrell said there was growing demand for products made from petrochemicals.
And he said the plant near Cowdenbeath, which was opened in the mid 1980s, could still run for decades.
“Many of our facilities in Europe and elsewhere have been in operation for 50, 60, 70 years, and it may be a surprise to know that the Fife Ethylene Plant is actually one of the youngest plants that we have in Europe,” said Mr Burrell.