The Environment Agency has withdrawn permission for waste wood firm Boomeco to store RDF at its Avonmouth docks site prior to export due to a persistent fly infestation.
Traditionally a wood recycling firm, Boomeco had been storing RDF at the St Andrews Road site prior to export as part of a contract with North Somerset council signed in February to process 10,000 tonnes of residual waste into RDF each year (see letsrecycle.com story).
However, following a number of complaints from nearby residents about flies, the company last month began working with the Agency to remove the damaged bales of refuse derived fuel (RDF) responsible and spray remaining bales with chemicals to kill the flies (see letsrecycle.com story).
The bales are mainly made up of waste packaging and may contain small residues of food which can attract flies, the Agency said.
Some bales have been double wrapped and the spraying procedure was reportedly repeated several times to kill as many flies as possible, but there are still flies at the site, according to the Agency.
Boomeco had been temporarily storing the RDF bales under a regulatory position statement (RPS) negating the need for a full environmental permit but the Agency said that certain requirements for this RPS were not met and permission to store RDF has been withdrawn.
The Agency said: There was an initial drop in the number of flies after the company removed or repaired damaged bales, and cleaned the site. But the fly problem has persisted and the Environment Agency has withdrawn its permission for Boomeco to conduct its operations.
Boomeco is truly sorry for the inconvenience it has caused local residents, businesses and the Port of Bristol. Most will know that this kind of error is not typical of the operational service we customarily provide.
Oliver Latter, managing director of Boomeco
It added: The Environment Agency has monitored the site to ensure it no longer contains any waste bales and has been cleaned, and its hoped the number of flies will continue to drop now these changes have been made at the site.
According to the Agency, Boomeco will now only be allowed to store RDF bales it can provide evidence and documented procedures to prove they can prevent fly problems from occurring again.
Truly sorry
Responding to the decision, Boomeco said it was truly sorry for the problems, adding that it has now removed all the offending material and invested in advanced equipment to improve procedures in future.
As such, the firm said it has confidence this teething challenge is behind us and will do whatever is necessary to correct this temporary and limited situation.
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Oliver Latter, managing director of Boomeco, commented: Boomeco is truly sorry for the inconvenience it has caused local residents, businesses and the Port of Bristol. Most will know that this kind of error is not typical of the operational service we customarily provide.
He added: We have invested in advanced equipment, generated much employment and will maintain zero defects as an inbuilt quality assurance objective so future operations can resume without repetition.
Gloucestershire firm Boomeco also processes waste wood such as pallets, construction timber, chipboard and MDF at its Avonmouth recovery facility, producing material for the likes of biomass fuel, forestry and compost.
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