Emergency services were called to the Pebsham waste transfer station on Bexhill Road, Freshfields, at 8.30am yesterday after Veolia staff raised concerns about an “unpleasant smell coming from a consignment of residual waste within the tipping hall”, a spokeswoman for the waste company said.
Sussex Police, which attended the scene along with paramedics and fire services, reported a “strong smell of ammonia” and advised residents living around the waste centre to “keep their windows and doors closed for the next few hours due to a chemical incident” as a precaution.
South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) said a “major incident” was declared, but that this was then stood down shortly after at 11am and emergency services left the scene that afternoon.
The Pebsham site and adjacent household waste recycling centre (HWRC) were evacuated shortly after emergency services arrived and closed for the remainder of the day, while Freshfields Lane was also closed as a precaution until around 1.30pm.
Firefighters from Bohemia Road and The Ridge in Hastings along with the Command Support Unit from Bexhill were called out, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service said. Two officers including a HAZMAT (hazardous materials) officer were also mobilised to the scene.
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A spokesman for the police said “eight people were taken ill”, which SECamb said were treated and assessed at the site for breathing problems.
A spokesperson for Veolia said 11 staff on site were given full medical checks by paramedics, while separately another two drivers using the tipping hall at the time of the incident presented themselves at a local hospital as a precaution.
Veolia said that no members of the public were involved and all staff reported to work this morning where the waste transfer station and HWRC are now open as normal.
The spokeswoman for the waste firm was unable to confirm what the hazardous substance was, but said: “Veolia takes health and safety extremely seriously and a full investigation is ongoing.”
Ambulance service
A spokesperson for SECAmb said yesterday: “SECAmb was called to reports of a suspected chemical incident at Freshfieds waste site in Bexhill Road, St Leonards, shortly after 8.30am this morning.
“Ambulance crews including paramedics from our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) attended the scene. We treated and assessed eight patients at the site for breathing problems. A major incident was declared but this was stood down shortly before 11am. The eight patients have all now been given advice and discharged from our care.”
A spokesman for the fire service said: “The cause of the incident is under investigation.”
Veolia holds a 30-year contract with East Sussex county council and Brighton & Hove city council to treat residual waste at the nearby Newhaven energy from waste facility, which processes 210,000 tonnes of waste per year – although the firm has applied to increase this to 242,000 tonnes (see letsrecycle.com story). The contract runs until 2033.
A Veolia information leaflet for users of its East Sussex HWRCs, including the Freshfields Lane HWRC, includes advice on depositing hazardous materials such as asbestos, but there is no mention of chemical materials.
- letsrecycle.com’s National Civic Amenity Site Conference takes place on July 15 at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull. Click here for more information and to register attendance.
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