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 | December 2009 | November Update 2009 | November 2009 | September 2009 | August 2009 | July 2009 | April 2009 (PDF) | Contact us |

Save Our Shoreline, June 2010

TTS apply for water discharge permits for Energy From Waste Plant.

Transport and Technical Services have applied for three water discharge permits, two being for run-off water, some of which may be contaminated by industrial activities on the site, and one for cooling water discharged from Jersey's new incinerator. The volume of cooling water predicted is 10 times the current JEC outflow volume at 60,000 m3 or 13.2 million gallons per day. This equates to the contents of 24 Olympic size swimming pools being emptied daily into the Ramsar Area at Havre des Pas.

The water is predicted to be pre-heated to an average of 8ºC above the ambient sea temperature, (with a predicted increase to 12ºC if the turbine trips). The water will also carry low but detectable traces of a deadly biocide from pre-treatment at the JEC.

The Jersey Electricity Company have also concurrently put in a discharge application. This relates at present to a 'deemed' discharge permit issued in 2000. Worryingly, is the continued use of Seatreat 6 (Nalco 73520) biocide which is flushed through the pipes at 12 hourly intervals. There are 3 outflow points at La Collette where this treated water exits (see below) The bulk of the water is pumped into the bay from the main culvert (below the photo, into Havre des Pas - discharge point 3).

The cooling water is treated with a biocide made by Nalco, who have received criticism recently with regard to lack of toxicity studies regarding certain dispersant chemicals used in the Gulf of Mexico disaster.

We are asking questions relating to studies relating to testing of this product in the marine environment, and regarding EU forthcoming regulations banning the use of biocides. Seatreat6, (trade name for Nalco 73520) is a biocide which states on the data sheet that it is acutely hazardous to humans, deadly to aquatic life and is dangerous to the environment. The biocide is injected into the JEC system before it flows out through the JEC culvert and other discharge points, having mixed with EfW cooling water.

Below: excerpt from data sheet supplied with the application.

SO WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

Concentrations are given at an estimated 0.02 - 0.03ppm. Even at very low levels, these chemicals can have often unkown adverse effects on human and aquatic systems. Levels may rise to 1.7ppm at the harbour discharge points. We understand that the JE Health Safety and Environment Engineer carried out an assesment of the use of biocide. We ask what year that was, if it predated EU regulations and would have been allowed today, given higher standards and forthcoming EU regulations? Discharge point 2 is in St. Helier Harbour at the base of Victoria Pier. The shellfish viviers at Victoria Pier has its sea water intake nearby.

WILL RAMSAR BE CONSULTED OR NOTIFIED OF THE NEW OUTFLOW PERMIT REQUESTS?

They haven't as yet, despite a direct request from Director Tobias Salathé, (Senior Adviser, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands) which is still sitting on a desk somewhere. We understand that a forthcoming meeting with the Planning Minister, Environmental Scrutiny Panel and DEFRA is planned to discuss the issue. We welcome this a starting point.

Below: excerpt from TTS application dated 25th March 2010, showing outflow rate and volume of cooling water, plus JEC method of dosing with biocide. The amount of dose added at each application is given as 1.1 litre per 24 hrs.

SOS Submission and recommendations: SOS have submitted a representation to Planning and Environment dated 14th June, 2010. The full 9 page document can be downloaded as a PDF here.

Our key recommendations are as follows:

1: That the practice of pumping biocide into the marine environment be stopped and another method found.

2: That before any discharge permits be given on the cooling water for EfW, an Independent Environmental Impact Assessment be undertaken on the likely impact of pumping 13.2 million gallons of heated (and biocide treated) water a day into Havre des Pas bay.

SOS also advise testing for traces of biocide amines in the seawater in the viviers at Victoria pier.


Next time: (held over for a month as we couldn't find enough tourists in the area last month to do a full survey)
What will our tourists think of the new incinerator on the waterfront? Will they return?

EfW pollution update: We understand that a dossier has at last been sent to the Attorney General in respect of massive pollution in the spring of last year. In the light of that news we will hold over our intended article.

Below: Toxic leachate from the incinerator workings, being pumped out into the bay at Havre des Pas via the culvert to sea April/May 2009.
The public were not alerted or told not to swim in the bay or avoid eating shellfish taken there. The incident went unreported by the media.


Save Our Shoreline June 2010
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 to participate.

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