Work begins to clear Waste4Fuel RDF site

Environment Agency contractors have entered the Waste4Fuel site in Orpington to begin work to reduce the size of the waste pile to a safe level.

The site has been under close scrutiny by the authorities due to the storage of thousands of tonnes of waste and a number of fires at the Cornwall Drive facility over the past year.

Problems at the site have gained national media coverage, due to the visibility of the waste stack and its proximity to neighbouring properties.

Last week the Agency began installing fencing to prevent trespassing and to allow priority access to the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (see letsrecycle.com story).

On Tuesday (August 5) contractors entered the site to begin preparatory work to remove around 2,500 tonnes of material from the location by the end of the week.

Initial removal and disposal of the waste will be paid for by the Agency, but it is still hoped that the owners and operators of the site will pay for the eventual clean up of the area.

‘Frustration’

Rob Wise, environment manager at the Environment Agency, said: We understand the frustration of local residents and we will continue our fight against Waste4Fuel. It is not right that taxpayers should pick up the bill for this operation when it remains the responsibility of the site operator and landowners, but the priority is to make the site as safe as possible. We are committed to working with our partners to find a long-term solution.

The site had been used to store waste such as tyres, plastics, cardboard, metals and paper for processing into RDF. In March, Waste4Fuel said it had made real headway in removing waste from the site (see letsrecycle.com story).

A spokeswoman for Waste4Fuel confirmed that the company had now been barred from accessing the site.

She said: There is now no-one at the yard. We have been told by the fire brigade that our presence is no longer required and the gates have been locked preventing our access.