Asbestos factory rubble to be disturbed, transported and dumped

Asbestos factory rubble being moved

Hundreds of tonnes of asbestos factory rubble is to be disturbed, transported and dumped from next Tuesday 22 November. 

This news came by way of a press release issued by the PR agents of Countryside Properties.

Rochdale Council officers, MPs, Councillors and Save Spodden Valley (SSV) have expressed concern that the information was leaked to the press rather than being consulted formally.

Jason Addy, co-ordinator of the SSV campaign comments on the official anger:

“It appears that key council officers have been kept in the dark. This is despite reassurances by the developers, recently published in 50,000 glossy brochures, that the developers 'principal concern is to ensure the public have access to information relating to the site' (page 7)”.

“Councillors and SSV have seen correspondence sent by Ken Smith, Rochdale Council’s Head of Planning and Regulation to Countryside Properties PR agents. It indicates the level of official anger there is about not being consulted.”

“In recent correspondence, Ken Smith has also expressed the need to have many questions answered openly about the rubble before it was moved. The major points included:

• Whether the material has been adequately assessed throughout for potential contamination, which has implications both for its management on site and its removal
• Whether appropriate measures are in place to deal with any unexpected hazardous material encountered during handling on site
• That the appropriate waste management controls will be in place during transportation
• That the material is being taken to a location/facility where it will be properly managed

“Neither Rochdale Council or SSV have not had answers to these questions” comments Jason Addy. 

“This is a bad omen for any future development plans: We have all been asking questions about the safety of this rubble for months, as can be seen from previous news reports on Rochdale Online. This is not a 'NIMBY' issue, it if was then we would have been making demands to be rid of this rubble from ‘our backyard’. There now appears to be a mad rush to remove the rubble before the questions get too awkward for the developers”.

“It could be going through Rochdale’s streets next week without a very simple question being answered: how much asbestos does the rubble contain?"

“The immediate answer is NOBODY KNOWS. The test results conducted by the HSE that were positive for traces of asbestos cannot be used to confirm if the waste is ‘Hazardous’ i.e. more that 0.1% asbestos”.  

“That could mean that the appropriate safeguards for handling the waste might not be taken.”   

“According to the Environment Agency the person responsible for classifying the type of waste is ‘the holder of the waste’.  There are various types of Controlled Waste - such as 'toxic', 'hazardous' and 'inert'. Each type has different levels of safety procedures associated with them."

“Obviously ‘inert’ waste would be simpler (and cheaper) to dispose of that ‘toxic’ waste. It is up to the ‘waste holder’ to decide which category the waste falls into. Given the developers past actions on the site, despite their apparent apologies for these, I have real concerns about the recent haste and secrecy surrounding this rubble”. 

In a letter he received this morning, Jason Addy confirms that the HSE will not publish the official papers relating to the disturbance, transportation and dumping of the rubble. The official request has been denied by the HSE on the grounds of “Public Interest”.

An Appeal to the Information Commissioner is to be lodged but the law gives 40 days for a response.

Jason Addy comments: 

“In Parliament this week, Prime Minister Tony Blair couldn’t give reassurances that the HSE and Environment Agency will keep the public safe." 

“It appears that no citizen in this land, even the Prime Minister, can have access to the HSE documents”.

“Even with the much vaunted Freedom of Information Act and the Environmental Information Regulations, the HSE has no duty in law to disclose these documents. They may be available when the file is closed. Perhaps weeks AFTER the rubble has been disturbed, transported and dumped. If mistakes had been made, then the dust will have settled.” 

“It still appears that, despite earnest efforts, there is no ‘joined-up thinking’ in local and central government. There is the potential for developers to exploit the legal loopholes that hinder cross departmental communication and scrutiny of work that could cause terminal cancer”.

“I shared the PM’s desperation as I watched Question Time. When Mr Blair looked around in vain to his ministers for an answer there was much merriment in the packed House of Commons. But this is no laughing matter”.

It has been confirmed that the proposed site for the waste is to be the Viridor site at Pilsworth North. It is uncertain which route is to be used by the lorries. In the first two miles of the journey, the two most direct routes pass the homes on Ings Lane, Sandy Lane and Bury Road, or alternatively Edenfield Road and Bagslate Moor Road.

An urgent public meeting has been called by Save Spodden Valley for this Monday 21 November 7.30pm at Spotland Methodist Hall, Rooley Moor Road.