|
|
Save Our Shoreline have received proposals from
Transport and Technical Services for an artificial 'headland' that
they wish to build at La Collette over time, to a height of 20 metres
above the height of the present reclamation. This process would
be over a period of years and be T&TS' answer to disposing of toxic
ash produced by the incinerator. The plan would entail the building
of superfilled ash cells to form a large artificial 'headland' which
would screen the fuel farm from view from the east but would not
screen the incinerator.
TTS have already commissioned major consultancy work by Capita Symonds, a London based company. SOS are of the opinion that the Ramsar Management Authority should have been involved at an earlier stage, given the possible impacts to the marine environment and the RMA's presumed purpose: to be involved at the primary stage with Ramsar related issues, particularly as massive in scale as this would be. SOS have briefly discussed this point with Chris Sampson, T&TS Director of Municipal Services, and Mr. Sampson has kindly offered to make a presentation to the RMA. SOS has written to all members of the RMA and as of time of writing the Constable of St. Helier has also written to the RMA offering a venue for a briefing of the plans to the Deputies of No 1 district St. Helier.
We post two collages from the Capita Symonds report to show the footprint of the 'headland' and the likely visual impact. Our concerns, as always, are the impact on the marine environment, from possible leachate escape beneath the pits (as is happening with the present ash pits), run off of leachate from rainwater, and wind blown ash into the Ramsar area. The visual impact of this project will also need to be carefully assesed, as will the possible dangers to the workforce in handling this toxic material and its possible effect on the flora and fauna that inhabit the area now and that will inhabit the finished 'headland'. Whilst assured that T&TS now follow standards of 'best practice', they have not always done so in the past. Large areas of the Waterfront are still having to be expensively cleared of toxic fill due to the department's historical practice of dumping and mixing fly and bottom ash from the Bellozanne incinerator directly on to the area. We hope that this new proposal will be carefully scrutinised by all stakeholders and consultation does not follow the way the incinerator was handled. Another area of concern is the huge amount of sand that will be needed to make the new cells; where will this be abstracted from? Consultants Capita Symonds have considered several other sites for disposal of the ash. They looked at the following areas and deemed them unsuitable: Western Quarry, La Saline (TTS Stone Processing depot), La Crete Quarry, Simon Sand Lagoon, La Gigoulande, Ronez, and the former mushroom tunnels. La Collette was identified as the most viable location. The Executive Summary considered off island disposal and concluded "Disposal off Island has not been considered as viable alternatives are available. As such, off Island disposal is unlikely to be permitted due to the requirements of the Basel Convention. The UK extended its ratification of the Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Waste to include Jersey in 2007." SOS accept that we as an island are responsible for disposal of our ash. We ask if other options have been considered? One such option to explore may be to vitrify the ash to make them inert, and use the blocks in a positive way?. Surely if TTS had come first to the Ramsar Management Authority with its knowledgable stakeholders for input before commissioning this report that would have been preferable? But historically T&TS decide on a course of action then push it through. The Capita Symonds report (April 2011) entitled" La Collette EfW Residues: Technical Options & Disposal Sites" can be downloaded as a PDF file here.
|
