The Environment Agency
in the South West is to launch
a consultation on its draft decision to
issue an environmental permit for a non-hazardous
waste incinerator at Exeter in Devon.
The Environment Agency
in the South West is to launch a consultation
on its draft decision to issue an environmental
permit for a non-hazardous waste incinerator
at Exeter in Devon.
The Agency has received
an application from Viridor Waste Management
Ltd for a permit for the plant at Exeter.
This plant, also known as an energy from
waste facility, burns waste at high temperatures,
with the energy used to generate electricity.
The plant needs a permit
from the Environment Agency. This permit
will make sure that it operates without
causing significant harm to the environment
and human health.
Having considered the
application and all other relevant information
and responses, the Environment Agency now
wish to consult the public. The consultation
period will last for 20 working days, ending
on 26th October 2009, allowing people to
give their views on the draft permit and
explanatory decision document.
Copies of the draft
decision documents and documentation associated
with the application will be available to
view at the public registers held at the
Environment Agency office at Exminster House
or Exeter City Council offices.
It will also be made
available in local libraries including St
Thomas Library, Cowick Street, St Thomas,
Exeter and in the Reference Library at Exeter
Central Library.
‘It’s our role to make
sure that incinerators are operated to meet
strict environmental standards and the conditions
of their environmental permits,’ said Spence
Seaman for the Environment Agency.
‘Conditions in the permit
will also ensure compliance with all relevant
European Union legislation including new
strict air emission and monitoring standards
for plants of this type.’
Issuing the permit will
be the first stage in the regulation of
the plant. When the facility is up and running,
we will ensure the emissions from the plant
meet the rigorous standards and requirements
of the permit.
‘Should we ultimately
decide to issue the permit, this would be
only the first stage in our regulation of
the plant. When the facility is up and running,
we will monitor its environmental performance,
including emissions to air, to ensure that
permit conditions are not breached,’ added
Spence Seaman.
The main consultation
on the application for a permit was held
in 2007 and the site received planning approval
from Devon County Council in 2008.
Any comments on the
details and content of the draft permit
and draft decision document should be made
in writing by 26th October 2009 to:
National Permitting Service – Cardiff
5th Floor, Ty Cambria
Environment Agency
29 Newport Road
Cardiff
CF24 0TP
Ends
Environment Agency improves flood warning
service
Many residents in parts of Oxfordshire and
Gloucestershire will receive a better flood
warning service targeted directly to their
communities for the first time.
The Environment Agency
has just increased the number of flood warning
areas for parts of Oxfordshire including
Abingdon, Wantage, Grove, East Hanney and
Bampton. New river level gauges have recently
been installed along the River Stert, Letcombe
Brook and Shill Brook. A new gauge has also
been installed along the River Evenlode
upstream of Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire.
Although this system
is widely used it is the first time that
it has been rolled out in these areas.
The gauges are housed
in small kiosks that sit on the river bank
and transmit river levels back to the Environment
Agency’s flood forecasting team every fifteen
minutes. This information is then used to
monitor how rivers levels respond to rainfall
24 hours a day.
Installing these gauges
will ensure that the Environment Agency
is able to detect flooding and inform communities
when it is likely to flood in their area.
These areas were all seriously affected
by the July 2007 floods and while flooding
cannot always be prevented, these new gauges
will allow local residents time to take
action, keep safe and save their valuables.
Kate Vincent, an Environment
Agency Flood Incident Management Team Leader,
said: "I’m really pleased that we are
now able to extend our flood warning service,
Floodline Warnings Direct, to provide a
service to people living and working in
additional parts of Abingdon, Wantage, Grove,
East Hanney and Bampton and Moreton-in-Marsh.
“It is vitally important
that people in these areas register for
this new free service either by phoning
our Floodline service on 0845 988 1188 or
visiting our website at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/.
“People should also
make themselves familiar with the levels
of warning we use to understand the impacts
of what it means when we issue one. Taking
appropriate action in advance can prevent
or minimise any potential damage or loss
caused by a flood."
Ends
Remember, you can call
Floodline on 0845 988 1188 any time night
or day for real-time flood warnings and
advice.
Gas, electricity and
water
• Put plugs into sinks
and weigh them down with something heavy
• Turn off gas, electricity
and water supplies at the mains. Find out
where these are well in advance of any flood
• Unplug all electrical
items and store upstairs or as high up as
possible.
Reduce flood water getting
into your home
• Silicone sealant -
open doors and windows, smear a layer of
this around the frame, then shut and lock
the door/window.
• Ideally, cover doors,
windows and airbricks with plywood, sandbags
or metal sheeting. Download our guide, below,
for detailed instructions.
Furniture and appliances
• Move as much furniture
and electrical items as you can upstairs.
Alternatively raise them up on bricks or
blocks - this may be very helpful for large
appliances such as fridge/freezers
• Move furniture away
from walls, as this helps when drying your
property later
• If you can, roll up
carpets and rugs and put them upstairs
• If there is no time
to remove curtains, hang them up over the
rail so they are kept above flood water
• Leave internal doors
open, or ideally, remove them and store
them upstairs.
Personal Items
• You cannot replace
sentimental items. Think about permanently
moving these upstairs, so you do not forget
to move them in the case of a flood
• Keep important personal
documents in a sealed bag, and in a location
safe from floodwater.
Outside the house
• Move anything not
fixed down into a safer location, e.g. dustbins,
garden chemicals, car oil and similar
• Move your car to higher
ground to avoid damage
• Weigh down manhole
covers outside the house to prevent them
floating away and leaving a hazardous hole,
