Leaked document - TBA crush rubble to be removed...

TBA crush rubble

At 6pm on Friday 20 October, a 'Site Activity Report' was attached to an email sent by Nigel Moutrey of MMC Estates. Soon after, another email sent by Mr Moutrey recalled the previous email.

The recalled email stated that in the week commencing 23 October there was to be a number of site activities:

• Clearance of small areas of asbestos waste products.
• Removal of Crush pile of demolition product.
• Tree-pruning in the various locations, as approved by RMBC, so that signs can be affixed and be clearly seen.

Save Spodden Valley's Jason Addy said he has a number of urgent questions: 

1. " Following the recommendations made in the Atkins report, have all safeguards been satisfied to ensure that human health risks are mitigated and follow the principles of ‘As Low As Reasonably Possible' (ALARP)? This includes a human health risk assessment of the proposed activities."
2. "Also, what further testing has been done of the rubble? Has this been done following and in accordance with the clear recommendations of the Atkins Report?"
3. "Are all documents relating to these proposed work activities fully available for peer review and public scrutiny BEFORE any work is agreed to and commenced?"
4. "If or when all safeguards have been satisfied, where is this rubble going to?" 

"The whole sorry saga of the past few years at the TBA site has been of obfuscation.

"There was a welcome commitment by Rochdale Council, and the various parties of the multi-agency group, for clear, public and accountable governance and decision making.

"Thanks to the work and scrutiny from many of our Councillors, MPs, MEPs and various stakeholders, this site is fully in the public eye.

"So when a document is ‘leaked’ by the site owners, apparently by mistake, yet no councillors, MPs,  etc., or members of the public know anything about this imminent work, WHAT IS GOING ON?"

Background Information regarding the rubble
(Supplied by Save Spodden Valley)

A number of former ‘T Block’ office workers have died of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma.

In early 2005 additional tests were conducted by Encia for Countryside Properties at the former TBA site. Eight samples were also taken from demolition rubble pile left from the former ‘T Block’ office building demolished in 2003.

Three of the eight samples tested positive for traces of asbestos. The HSE stressed that the HSL testing was quantitative not qualitative. (The broad banding that the asbestos content of the rubble was in the “under 1% “ band was not an indication of its weight by weight content). 

In mid 2005 it was reported that the Muti-Agency Group had agreed there was to be no further testing of the former TBA site until the publication of the Atkins Global Report.

In November 2005 the “fines” rubble was removed under conditions “as if” it was hazardous materials. A Freedom of Information Request was made to the HSE for all documentation relating to the removal of this material (Risk Assessments, method Statements, test results, methodologies etc.) This request was denied by the HSE under a public interest exemption. 

In late 2005 Countryside Properties and MMC Estates published, in a glossy brochure and  Countryside Properties website, their opinion that there were two distinct piles of rubble on the site. They described one pile as “crush” the other as “fines”.  

However, photographs taken in 2004 indicate that the “crush” and “fines” rubble (from the remains of the T-block office building) formed one pile. Removal of rubble in late 2004 had cleared a gap between the crushed rubble and the finer material.   

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that the statements made in the web site and brochure published in October 2005 (that the “crush” was free of asbestos) was misleading and in breach of the code for truthfulness, honesty and substantiation. 

In early 2006, during submissions made by MMC Estates and Countryside Properties to the ASA it was submitted that further tests had been conducted on the “crush” material in December 2005. It was suggested that the tests were “approved” by the Environment Agency and HSE.  According to the ASA Investigating Officer, Malcolm Phillips, documents relating to further testing papers were submitted to the ASA but could not be made public.

To date, no public statement has been made by the Environment Agency or HSE about further testing of the rubble. Any testing would have been in contravention of the agreed testing moratorium until the Atkins Global Report had been published. This was an important matter because the remit for the Atkins Global report included recommendations regarding asbestos analysis and screening techniques, background air monitoring and human health risk assessment.

To date, no discussion between the multi-agency group regarding the rubble has been made public.

Mr Addy said: "I understand that Township Councillors of the TBA Health and Safety Working Party, MPs or Ministers have not been informed of any such discussions about the remaining pile of rubble."  (Questions were put to Tony Blair at PMQ’s in November 2005).

The last posting of news on Countryside Properties Spodden Valley web site:

www.spoddenvalleyregeneration.com/On+Site+News

This was almost a year ago, in November 2005.