News in brief

Denbighshire AD plant on track for summer opening

Biogen is constructing and will operate the plant near St Asaph on behalf of the North Wales Consortium of Denbighshire county council, Conwy county borough council and Flintshire county council.

The Waen AD plant will process food waste from local households and businesses to generate electricity for approximately 1,500 homes as well as a biofertiliser for local farmland. Commissioning of the plant is due to begin in mid-May.

On site, the main reception hall building (where the food waste will be delivered to), biofertiliser storage tanks and the bund walls have all been completed. A combined heat and power (CHP) unit responsible for generating the electricity is in now place, as is a new substation and high voltage cabling. Special tanks, which will harvest rainwater on site, have also been installed.

Simon Musther, head of commercial operations at Biogen, said: This is a great opportunity for any commercial operator who is looking for a food waste management solution. Recycling food waste at the Waen AD plant will ensure cost savings and environmental benefits to the local area making this a real win-win.

Photo caption: Construction progress at Biogens Waen AD plant

Two Hull waste firms fined 36,000 over reckless operation

Two Hull-based waste businesses were fined a total of 36,000 after admitting to operating a regulated facility without the required permit.

At Hull Magistrates Court Last month (March 28), Petrotech Services Ltd was fined 10,000 and ordered to pay 5,700 costs, while its sister company Petrochemical Services Ltd was fined 26,000 and ordered to pay 5,844.50 costs.

After suspicions that the companies were operating a hazardous waste site, the Environment Agency investigators visited Unit 5a, 1 Carlton Street in Hull where both companies are based several times between March and October 2012.

The investigators found hazardous waste at the site, such as oil and sludge, drums containing liquids, and hazardous waste consignment notes.

Paul Atkinson, a director of both companies, told the court that after moving to the Carlton Street premises, Petrotech was honouring existing contracts. He blamed the retirement of a former manager as the reason for their failure to obtain a valid permit. Magistrates nevertheless described the companys actions as reckless.

During sentencing the Magistrates acknowledged that the companies actions had not caused actual environmental harm but did cause a significant risk.

Steve Williamson, environmental crime officer at the Environment Agency, said: The potential impact of an unregulated illegal hazardous waste operation in the middle of Hull was significant. Whilst the companys co-operated fully with our investigation, the level of fine determined by the court demonstrates the severity with which they viewed this offending.

Ealing achieves record winter recycling figures

Ealing recorded its highest ever winter recycling rates over the period from December 2013 to February 2014.

According to the council, recycling rates increased by 5% while household waste fell by 1% compared to the same period the previous year.

In addition, the number of Christmas trees sent for composting in 2014 rose compared to the year before.

The council launched a residents recycling reward scheme last week (see letsrecycle.com story) and is aiming to recycle 50% of its waste by 2020.

Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, cabinet member for environment and transport said: I am thrilled at the rise in recycling and the reduction in household waste over winter, and would like to thank residents for their remarkable efforts to achieve this. These results show that by making even a small change the effects can be huge.

The council is making a concerted effort to come up with imaginative ways to encourage residents to recycle more and help us reach our 50% by 2020 target. Last years civic Christmas tree outside Ealing Town Hall made from 900 recycled plastic bottles, the same amount used in the UK every two seconds, certainly grabbed peoples attention and was designed to make people think more about recycling.

Hampshire waste firm fined after worker hit by digger

Hampshire firm Solent Waste Services has been fined 12,000 and ordered to pay 19,752 in costs after a worker was run over by a reversing digger at its yard in Eastleigh.

Martin Jewell, 49, from Gosport, sustained life-changing injuries, including a double fracture to his right shin bone and broken bones in both feet, in the incident at the firms premises on October 30 2012.

The company was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on March 24 2014 at Westminster Magistrates Court after hearing that skip driver Mr Jewell walked to a storage unit and asked a digger driver to pull out another skip to fill before turning to make his way to a nearby office.

However, as he walked away the digger reversed into him, knocking him over and crushing his legs.

HSE found there was nothing in place at the yard to ensure vehicles and workers were kept apart, such as designated walkways or zones. The court was told that pedestrians routinely walked and stood in areas where vehicles were circulating.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Zahir Agha said: Solent Waste Services could and should have done more, and as a result Mr Jewell has been left with debilitating injuries from which he may never fully recover.

Webcam designed to cut queues at Beckenham HWRC

A web camera is broadcasting live footage of the Churchfields Road reuse and recycling centre in Beckenham, enabling residents to check on queues to the site before starting their journey there.

Footage of the recycling centre, run by Veolia Environmental services, can be viewed on Bromley councils website.

The webcam installation comes after that of another webcam at the Waldo Road recycling centre site, which Bromley council said has also helped to reduce congestion.

The news also follows confirmation of 145,000 of grant funding to improve both the Churchfields Road and Waldo Road sites. The improvement plans will see mini skips being installed with new flooring and signage.

Robert Seear, Veolias regional manager for South London, said: Both our Reuse and Recycling Centres in Bromley are extremely popular, with hundreds and even thousands of residents and traders visiting each site daily. Naturally this could result in the queues building up, so for visitors to have the ability to assess the queues before they set off for the sites is an invaluable time-saving feature.