Following recent events, Save Our Shoreline believe that Environmental
Services are not properly monitoring the waters of the South East Coast
for the presence of heavy metal pollutants from the Waterfront, West of
Albert and La Collette reclamation sites.
The visually evident degradation of the closest areas to La Collette and
the recent high levels of human effluent which has been damaging oyster
fisheries, we believe, is the tip of the iceberg. Jersey’s entire shellfish
industry could be at risk.
Heavy metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium, build up in the environment
over time and recent excavation
work on the incinerator has opened a window onto a potential pollution
pathway, revealing material which runs off into the adjacent Ramsar area.
Heavy metals are invisible, odourless and toxic, and are extremely difficult
to remove once they have built up in the marine environment, in filter
feeders such as oysters and cockles, and ultimately into the human food
chain.
Environmental Protection have stated that there is no evidence of significant
pollution so far. They site test only slipper limpets, which are not filter
feeders. At a recent Scrutiny Hearing, Tim Du Feu, Environmental Water
Regulator, admitted that testing of heavy metals requires testing of filter
feeders.
Recently, at Castle Quay raw incinerator ash
was exposed to the high spring tides twice daily. Environmental Health
officers have stated that they did not test the water and saw no reason
to halt work, despite there being in our view a clear and serious infraction
of the Water Pollution Laws and the Ospar Convention. Heavy metals in
the ash would have been disturbed by excavation and liberated in solution
and carried out to sea.
Even more serious is the question of the chronic pollution at La Collette,
where the toxic ash is stored, and prior to 1995 was just dumped with
inert waste and other waste materials such as asbestos, loose into the
sea. After impaction, this mix forms the base of La Collette and tidal
action is steadily leaching heavy metals from the bottom and inside voids
beneath the site.
SOS believe that as Environment do not appear to be conducting any meaningful
baseline studies, (and in fact did not even consider the necessity of
conducting baseline studies of the marine biota in the Ramsar area prior
to construction of the new incinerator) a baseline study needs to be done
as an urgent priority, in order to establish current levels of heavy metals
at this point in time. SOS believe that the problem will build up year
on year and urgently call on the States accept that they need to explore
what damage limitation is possible.
Our July news letter can be found here
Our April Press Rlease, pictures and links to lab results and independent
reports can be found here
Save Our Shoreline
working to protect our marine environment.
Find us on Facebook and comment on any of our posts. Or simply
show your support by sending us a friend request!
Just click on the logo below.
Save Our Shoreline Jersey
Email us
January 2012 |November 2011 |September 2011 |July 2011 |May 2011 |March 2011 |
February 2011 |January
2011 | December 2010 |November
2010 |October 2010 |September
2010 | July 2010 | June
2010 | May 2010 | April
2010 | March 2010 | February
2010 | January 2010 (Eyewitness
Report EfW) | December 2009
| November 2009 Update | November
2009 | September 2009
| August 2009 | July
2009 | April 2009 Press Release
