The Monster Mash
This is the sort of thing that goes on at Hafod: reported by one of the regular protesters.
Tuesday 10th October 2006
This morning I witnessed a wagon commencing to tip a load of waste into Hafod landfill. The load included a pale powdery substance that threw up big clouds of dust. While continuing to watch and film, the tipping was suddenly stopped and the rear of the wagon was quickly closed up on what remained. When the wagon left the site some of the substance was visible and clinging to the rear, open to the elements and able to leave a trail of contamination in its wake.
I spoke to the site manager and asked him what the substance was that had been tipped. His reply was “ I don’t know. I think it might be glue. He’s (the driver) been sent away to get the right paperwork.” When asked if the tipping would have continued if no one had been watching and filming he denied it (naturally).
We will never learn the truth about how many other loads have been tipped without the right paperwork, or how many lives this unknown substance has contaminated during its journey to and from the site. No doubt a statement will be issued from somewhere telling us next that sniffing glue is harmless!
The incident was reported to the Environment Agency.
Later on...
Following my complaint to the E.A. this morning I am now informed by them that the unknown substance was Potato Starch (yeah!), non toxic and no danger to health etc. (Provides a good feed for the vermin though) They claim that only once the tipping had started did some discrepancy with the paperwork arise. The paperwork was described as ambiguous (very cloak and dagger in my view) hence the load was rejected. So, no point rushing out to sniff the air for a whiff of glue to get high on, we’ll just have to suffer clogged pipes and tubes from inhaling Potato starch instead.
This story illustrates why it's so important that people continue to keep an eye on the site, not just first thing in the morning, but whenever tipping is taking place. A pair of binoculars, camera and, if you have one, a video camera are useful to have with you. A footpath runs around two sides of the site with excellent views down into the tip. Can someone add Karen Sinclair and Martyn Jones to the rota please?
posted by Bren @ 8:54 PM
11 comments
11 Comments:
This story is a good example of scare mongering to protect property prices. The EA assesment was accurate and the substance is what they say. Not all waste carriers are dishonest you fool.
Geat real! It's my life and that of my children and future generations that I'm very concerned about. I doubt a proper analysis would have been carried out without a complaint being made.
I'm not interested in scare mongering living with landfill is frightening enough.
The EA assesment was accurate and the substance is what they say.
Did the EA visit the site? Did they test the substance dumped? Or did they just accept the word of the carrier? Why was the paper work not in order? Why did the site manager accept the substance if the paper work was not in order? Is it worth the paper it's written on?
You sound very confident in the EA's abilities. Perhaps you could explain how they are monitoring Hafod's landfill on a day-to-day basis.
Not all waste carriers are dishonest you fool.
Which accepts that some are - we'd be fools to trust these people when there is so much money to be made from dumping dangerous waste.
Karen Sinclair said she'd be monitoring the site to make sure Murky Waste did everything by the book. Where the hell was she on Tuesday?
Reading her big, thick file perhaps
Where was Karen on Tuesday? Probably eating her curry in readiness for the bout of verbal diarrhoea she sprayed us with on Wednesday. Or perhaps she's already been and caught a Bug.
The EA check the substances at source not at landfill. That way they know where best to send it for disposal.
If the waste is mixed it says so on the transfer note. There is no need to question it. If the site manager has any concerns he can hold the vehicle for the EA.
But there is no need to.
If this is how much monitoring is happening, we're in trouble.
Llwyneinion claypit was an illegal dumping ground for chemicals from Ellesmere Port and look at it now! Now that dumping toxic waste is more expensive, there's even more money in turning a blind eye to illegal dumping. Who is monitoring that?
From what you say, it ain't the EA.
The potato starch driver didn't have the right paperwork according to the site manager - yet you say the EA provides a transfer note. So what was wrong there?
Anonymous said...
The EA check the substances at source not at landfill. That way they know where best to send it for disposal.
Really! So why were these put in place?
Waste acceptance procedures:
12. - (1) The operator shall visually inspect the waste at the entrance to the landfill and at the point of the deposit and shall satisfy himself that it conforms to the description provided in the documentation submitted by the holder.
(2) The operator shall, in accordance with such procedures as are specified by the Environment Agency, test waste to establish whether it corresponds to the description in the accompanying documents and, if representative samples are taken for analysis, the operator shall retain the samples and results of any analysis for at least one month.
So who's trying to pull the wool over who,s eyes?
What bothers me is that if the paperwork really was the problem, how come the wagon was allowed to empty out half its load before being stopped? Someone's not doing their job properly to allow that to happen.
If there was another reason, then we're being lied to.
Either way, it stinks.
Regulation is what's in question and not routine! Ambiguous paperwork could mean anything. We have no sentry on duty 24/7, and if the EA or Operator don't know the difference, what chance do we stand? Without challenge would it still have been potato starch?
My lips ( and nose) are sealed!
You lot make me larrrffff.
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