19/01/2005 - The Environment
Agency has on the 18 January 2005 issued
a formal warning to S. Grundon (Waste) Limited
for the spillage of Air Pollution Control
(APC) residue which took place at Wingmoor
Farm, Bishops Cleeve, on 19 April 2004.
The decision to issue a Formal Warning concludes
the investigation into this incident.
Environment Management Team Leader, Charles
Tucker, said "We have carried out a
thorough investigation into the spillage
and are satisfied that it had no impact
on human health or on the environment outside
the site boundaries."
The APC spillage took place from one of
the four hoppers used to store and treat
the waste after it has been received at
the site. The spillage, estimated at 1-2
tonnes of material, was detected by an Environment
Agency inspector during a site visit.
Charles Tucker said: "We issued a
Suspension Notice to stop the company using
the hopper until the reasons for the failure
had been identified and corrected. The notice
was lifted only after the company had satisfied
us that it had installed much more robust
equipment and changed its working procedures
to prevent the spillage happening again.
"Our investigation found that the
incident had caused no environmental pollution
or harm to human health, and there was no
evidence of detriment to the area beyond
the site boundary. Studies carried out as
part of the investigation concluded that
the actual impact of this incident was minor."
However, the spillage represented a breach
of condition 6.1.2 of the site’s Waste Management
Licence, as it did have the potential to
cause pollution outside the site boundary.
Therefore, under the Agency’s Enforcement
and Prosecution Policy, we have issued the
company with a formal warning for the incident."
Charles Tucker added: "We take any
breaches of licences and permits very seriously,
even where no actual harm has occurred,
and will not tolerate incidents such as
this one, especially where hazardous materials
such as APC waste are involved.
"The conditions under which we permit
the landfill site to operate have been carefully
designed to protect the environment and
human health, and are even stricter under
the new PPC permit, issued by us on 16 September
2004.
"We will continue to monitor the site
and, if necessary, take appropriate action
to protect the environment and human health.
If anyone has reason to believe that a pollution
incident has occurred, they should report
it to us immediately on 0800 80 70 60. This
number is manned 24 hours a day."
NOTE TO EDITORS
The formal warning will remain on the company’s
file and may be taken into account should
future enforcement action become necessary.
The measures put in place by S. Grundon
(Waste) Limited will minimise the chance
of any reoccurrence but, if it happens again,
we will consider taking stronger formal
enforcement action.
The Wingmoor Farm landfill site operated
under a waste management licence but applied
for a permit when the Pollution Prevention
and Control (PPC) Regulations came into
force last year. We granted the permit on
16 September 2004. The PPC permit replaces
the Waste Management Licence. The site is
permitted to landfill up to 150,000 tonnes
per year of hazardous waste, in line with
its Planning Permission. It was one of around
50 applications received by the Agency for
hazardous waste landfills in England and
Wales.
As part of the application process, there
was extensive public consultation. Comments
were received from numerous organisations
and individuals. Full consideration was
given to these comments and a permit produced
to protect the environment and prevent harm
to human health.
Grundons site at Bishops Cleeve is permitted
to take Air Pollution Control (APC) residues.
The quantity they can take is restricted
by the conditions of their permit and the
capacity of their on site treatment processes.
APC dust is hazardous because of its alkalinity
(high pH) and contamination by heavy metals.
The dust is transported to Bishops Cleeve
in vacuum sealed tankers and is subjected
to a closed treatment process during which
it is mixed with water or effluent to make
a stable solid and prevent dust when it
is deposited at the landfill.
The company is required to monitor dust
levels and has four dust monitors on the
perimeter of the site. We check the results
of these monitors routinely. In addition,
we carry out our own monitoring at six sites
outside the landfill
The air monitoring results are regularly
assessed. Based on the results, we are satisfied
that the control measures in place ensure
that it does not pose a risk to human health
(the incident on 19 April 2004 had no effect
outside the site boundary). If we were not
satisfied, we would modify or revoke the
permit to ensure there would be no harm
to human health.
