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UPDATE: Monday 5 December 1.00pm. Merseyside Fire & Rescue have reported that the scale of the fire “has greatly reduced”. The service said the incident is “under control” and the number of engines present has been redcued from 12 to three. Isolated hot points are being tackled. Among materials noticed by crews were oily rags.
In a statement, Remondis UK said: “In the early hours of Sunday 4th December, a fire occurred on site at the REMONDIS UK waste transfer facility in Prescot, Merseyside. Fortunately, there were no injuries. The security guard on site followed all safety protocols and the emergency services and senior management were alerted and attended site.”
The company added: “REMONDIS UK would like to thank all those involved and is now working closely with the emergency services, the local authority and the Environment Agency to manage and minimise the impact to the local area. Together, all parties are working to determine the cause of the fire and, while the investigation is ongoing, it is not possible to provide any further information at this time.”
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On Sunday, Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service said that their crews had been called out to “a large fire at a Waste Transfer Facility at Carr Lane, Prescot”.
The fire service said crews were notified at 5.57 am and were on the scene at 6.03 am with six pumps and a combined platform ladder in attendance.
At 9.00 am the service said that half of the building nearest to Carr Lane is “fully involved in the fire and part of the building is beginning to collapse”.
Divided
Later in the morning, the fire service said the area involved “has been divided into sectors and main jets and breathing apparatus are in use in firefighting”.
The fire was reported at about 100m x 100m in size within the Remondis building. The brigade said that there are no reports of any injuries or persons inside the facility. On Sunday at approx. 6pm, MF&RS noted that: “The plume of smoke from the fire has now significantly reduced in size and density as firefighting has made good progress during the day.”
Because of the fire, residents living nearby were advised to keep doors and windows closed until further notice. And, those with pre existing health conditions were told to “keep medicine close” and contact the NHS if they felt ill.
Unrivalled
When the building was opened it had support from the local authorities in the area and it featured high quality control mechanisms design features. The hazardous waste materials brought into the site are either sent for processing within the UK or despatched to Germany for treatment at Remondis facilities there.
The £10 million fully-enclosed facility when it opened in 2013 was thought to be the UK’s largest and most modern transfer station and was also seen as being “unrivalled” on the Continent (see letsrecycle.com story).
The facility, which had the finishing touches put to it in May 2013, was expected to see the business able to process up to 69,000 tonnes of material each year with an initial operating target of 13,000 tonnes per annum.
The site had flammable and non-flammable areas, areas for acids and for silver recovery. It was fully controlled for emissions to accord with sector guidance. At the time the company said: “Local emissions ventilation incorporates a filter consisting of six tonnes of washed coconut carbon. There is a large fan for suction through the filter to the discharge point. Bunds are protected by metal barriers and there are fire-proof rooms for tankers to help ensure safety when liquids are delivered and dispatched.”
Benchmark
The high standards within the plant won it praise in 2013. At the time, Steve Moore, North West director at the Environment Agency, said: It is fantastic to see a global business like Remondis starting to make a real impact in the UK. The site here at Prescot, Merseyside, will obviously set a new benchmark for the hazardous waste industry. The thinking that has gone into the design of this plant is exceptional both in terms of creating an effective business process and keeping environmental protection at its heart.”
Recently Remondis expanded its activities in the UK with the purchase of the mainstream waste management business JBT (see letsrecycle.com story)
Related links
Remondis UK
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