Environmental, Waste and Renewables Update

Here is a summary of today's Environmental, Waste and Renewables news:

STV: Scottish Government faces fresh calls to ban house coal to 'protect lives'

The Scottish Government has been urged to ban house coal as part of environmental measures to “protect people’s health.”  Charity Asthma + Lung Scotland has issued a plea to Holyrood to go ahead with proposals to ban coal-burning as part of the Cleaner Air for Scotland strategy, which aims for Scotland to “have the best air quality in Europe.”  House coal was banned in England in May 2023, but Scotland’s reliance on coal to heat remote and rural homes is higher.

Click here to read STV: Scottish Government faces fresh calls to ban house coal to 'protect lives'.

Insider: New Grangemouth projects could be in place by 2030 'if not before'

Potential projects to replace the Grangemouth refinery could be off the ground by 2030 “if not before”.  The findings of Project Willow - a report which looked at options for the site as it prepares to close in the coming months - were released last month, detailing nine potential avenues, including the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is backed by union leaders.

Click here to read Insider: New Grangemouth projects could be in place by 2030 'if not before'.

STV: Firefighters battling recycling centre blaze for third day

Firefighters remain at the scene of a blaze at a recycling centre in North Lanarkshire for a third day.  Emergency services, including six fire engines, six ambulances, a trauma team and a resuscitation rapid response unit, were sent to Blairlinn Industrial Estate in Cumbernauld after a fire broke out around 2.30pm on Tuesday. Six casualties, all men aged between 20 and 66, were taken to hospitals by the Scottish Ambulance Service for treatment.

Click here to read STV: Firefighters battling recycling centre blaze for third day.

BBC: Firefighters warning as wildfires hit in dry weather

Firefighters have warned of an "extreme" risk of wildfires across all areas of Scotland over the next week.  It comes as crews tackled a large blaze in the Kilpatrick Hills near Glasgow on Tuesday, while gorse was set alight in a deliberate fire in Banchory, Aberdeenshire. It is the third wildfire warning issued by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) this year as the weather gets warmer and drier.

Click here to read BBC: Firefighters warning as wildfires hit in dry weather.