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Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
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Assembly Member expresses concerns about Quarry dump plans
February 4, 2007 11:37 PM
Peter Black and Helen Ceri Clarke explain the problem to Lembit ?pik
Hazardous waste tipped in a Swansea quarry over two decades ago could be dug up and moved to another part of the site if the Environment Agency ever gives the go-ahead to resume tipping there.
The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black, and his party's Assembly candidate for Swansea East, Helen Ceri Clarke, took Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader, Lembit ?pik to Cwmrhydyceirw Quarry in Morriston to explain the issues and show him the site. The Quarry was used for tipping in the 1980s causing huge environmental problems for local residents. It has been established that waste which is considered hazardous and would now need to be taken to a specially licensed disposal site, was deposited there at that time. Now a new company has taken it over and is applying for permission to resume landfill operations there. This application is being considered by the Environment Agency.
The existing cell is leaking and needs to be cleared out and re-lined before any more waste can be taken into the quarry. Up until now it had been assumed that any hazardous waste in that cell would be taken off site and disposed of in a properly licensed facility. However, the Environment Agency have now advised local elected members that they do not have the power to enforce this and that the hazardous waste may remain on site in a new cell. Mr. Black has written to the Assembly's Environment Minister to object at this decision.
"Nobody wants to see tipping resume at this quarry and local residents are fighting this application all the way," said Mr. Black. "Such activity could cause major environmental problems, smells, flies and heavy lorries on residential streets. The quarry is situated close to a large number of houses and a primary school. There could not be in a worst place a waste disposal site."
Helen Ceri Clarke added: "What is concerning is that if permission is granted by the Environment Agency, then hazardous waste will be dug up within a few hundred yards of residents' homes and the school and reburied on site. That is unacceptable. This site is unsuitable for the deposit of hazardous waste and would never get a licence for that activity. It makes no sense therefore to re-bury such material on site once it has been dug up. If it has to be dug up then it should be removed to a more suitable place."
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