The Portuguese-owned company that runs the Crymlyn Burrows materials recovery and energy centre in South-West Wales, was served the enforcement notice for failing to provide adequate access to monitor emissions from the plant's air vents (see letsrecycle.com story).
But Ian Joiner, general manager at the Port Talbot arm of HLC told letsrecycle.com that work on satisfying the Environment Agency's demands is already in progress, and in fact the Agency is even working with HLC on the problem.
Mr Joiner said: “We've got access to the emission points, but the Agency wanted an improvement on that. It was already work in progress, and we've actually been working with the Environment Agency on it, so it was strange that they should suddenly turn round and serve us with an enforcement notice.”
The 30m, 170,000 tonne a year facility has the necessary emission monitoring facilities in place for its furnace flue as required by its Pollution Prevention and Control permit, and work on the facilities for the air vents will be completed soon according to HLC.
Mr Joiner said: “We've been given a deadline by the Agency of completing the work by the end of July, so we've actually scheduled the work so that it will be finished on June 23 2003.”
Environment Agency
Responding to the comments from HLC, the Environment Agency said: “A PPC permit to operate the Materials Recovery and Energy Centre at Crymlyn Burrows was issued to HLC Waste Management Services (“the Operator”) on May 9, 2002. It is a condition of the permit that the Operator provides safe and permanent means of access to enable sampling/monitoring to be carried out at specified emission points. It is a requirement of the permit that the conditions within it are met during operation of the plant, including commissioning stages.”
The statement continued: “The Agency decided to issue an enforcement notice in relation to this condition as despite commissioning since September 2002 the Operator had failed to ensure such permanent means of access and could not supply the Agency with any firm plans on when this matter would be rectified. The Agency deems this action to be proportionate and fair.”
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