Pollution levels around the Belco power station are to be monitored by environmental officials after complaints from residents in the area.

The Department of Environmental and Natural Resources said a mobile air-quality monitoring station, bought by Belco, would arrive in Bermuda soon to assess the potential impact from emissions.

Walter Roban, the home affairs minister, also called on the company to improve its communications with neighbours who have complained about airborne debris from the Pembroke plant.

Mr Roban said: “What area residents have experienced to date is unfortunate, and it is clear that more needs to be done to address their important health and safety concerns.

“I acknowledge that the information received so far is disturbing, but further assessment needs to be conducted.

“As a result, a team from DENR will meet directly with those affected to get first-hand information. I would also encourage Belco to have greater engagement with the affected homeowners.”

DENR said Belco was “working quickly to rectify the issue with emissions from their facility”.

People living near the new North Power Station on St John’s Road have highlighted regular fallouts of orange material from Belco chimneys.

Dennis Pimentel, Belco’s president, said this week that ageing smokestacks responsible for the pollution would be shut down in October.

Residents affected by emissions from the plant on Serpentine Road, Pembroke, should e-mail their complaints to pollutioncontrol@gov.bm.