Cloud formations (FOI)

Request

There have been a lot of strange cloud formations in the sky this week, all formed in very straight lines.

My questions are:

A

Are these 'clouds' formed by passing airplanes?

B

What is the content of these 'clouds' and do they change the air quality in the Island?

C

Are these clouds toxic to humans, animals or the land that we farm?

Response

The Meteorological section (Met) of Infrastructure, Housing and Environment assume that the cloud formations referenced are likely to be contrails.

A

The clouds are formed due to the exhaust fumes of an aircraft similar to the exhaust of a combustion engine car.

B

The visible content of these clouds is water most likely in an ice form.

The Met do not hold any information regarding the exhaust content of the aircraft creating these contrails, therefore Article 10 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

However, the information you have requested may be held by Ports of Jersey (POJ) so you might wish to send your information request in writing to the details provided at the end of the response. 

POJ are not a scheduled public authority, therefore, they are not required to provide a response under the Freedom of Information legislation.

C

The Met do not hold information regarding the toxicity of these clouds since they do not know the content of the exhaust fumes as detailed above, therefore Article 10 applies.

Article applied

Article 10  -Obligation of scheduled public authority to confirm or deny holding information

(1) Subject to paragraph (2), if –

(a) a person makes a request for information to a scheduled public authority; and

(b) the authority does not hold the information, it must inform the applicant accordingly.

Ports of Jersey

The information you have requested is not held by the Government of Jersey, however, it may be held by Ports of Jersey so you might wish to send your information request in writing to:

ask@ports.je

or by post to:

Ports of Jersey, St Peter, Jersey, JE1 1BY