Bellozanne Waste Treatment Works - petition

STATES OF JERSEY

r

BELLOZANNE WASTE TREATMENT WORKS: PETITION

Lodged au Greffe on 28th March 2006 by Deputy J.B. Fox of St. Helier

STATES GREFFE

PROPOSITION

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

to re q uest the Minister for Transport and Technical Services –

(a ) to undertake an assessment of the Bellozanne Sewage Treatment Works by the end of 2006 to

identify the sources of the unpleasant smells that are causing a nuisance to those living and working in the vicinity of the Works; and

(b ) to prepare a full engineering appraisal, following the assessment, showing how the smells could be

minimized and setting out the total capital cost of the required buildings, enclosures, odour control equipment and all associated engineering works, and to request the Minister to then make the necessary submission based on the appraisal, as part of the capital prioritization process, so that funds can be sought to enable the remedial work to be undertaken.

DEPUTY J.B. FOX OF ST. HELIER

REPORT

On Thursday 16th March 2006, I received a petition of 434 names from Mrs. Judy Beaumont of Pomme d'Or Flats, West Hill, St. Helier, which reads as follows –

"To H is Excellency, Air Chief Marshal Sir John Cheshire KBE CB, Lieutenant Governor. To S ir  Philip Bailhache , Bailiff , President.

To M e mbers of the States of Jersey,

The humble petition of the residents/workers of the First Tower area shews, their concern about the smells permeating throughout the adjacent residential areas from the Waste Water Treatment Works and accordingly, your petitioners pray that, Environment and Public Services Committee shall endeavour to make funds available to resolve this problem and thus minimize these foul, unpleasant smells, which cause considerable nuisance in our daily lives and your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray.' "

To support this petition Mrs. Beaumont has compiled the following points that the residents/workers of the First Tower area have stated the reasons as outlined.

1. T h e smellisrepugnant.
2. I t c an linger for days onand I have recorded it for up to a 14daystretch, day andnight.
3. W e ather is a factor, hotheavy weather without wind. It sits in the valley and is drawntowards the sea, usually very slowly clearing often staying into the afternoonorevening.
4. I t p ermeates properties withouteventhewindowsopen, especially ours as they are single glazed. Many flats on the estatehavemade this comment.
5. I t h asawokenme in thenight and makesmefeel sick and this disgusting smellhasmademy mouth taste the same.Hishashappened to otherresidentstoo.
6. T h e staffat the sewageworksandsurrounding offices canvouch for the smell; it is in their offices as they arrive for work in the morning, having been trapped inside overnight. It is then impossible to clear because openingwindowsmakes it worse when it is outside too. TheDirector, John Rogers, attheworks suffers the same fate inhisown office.
7. H ea vy morning orovernight dew makes the smell cling in the valley not allowing it to escape.
8. Y o u cannot put out washingwhen there is a smelland if youdo,itabsorbs the smell.
9. I n the summer,on those nice warm days,eveningsit'simpossibletosit outside oreven open windowsordoors. Visitors to your homeareamazedandusually disgusted at its stench andcan't believe that wehavetoaccept it.
10. I t is a constant factor intheFirstTower School, which the Headmistress/Caretaker battle to overcome on a weeklybasis for the sake of all thechildren.
11. T h e seagulls use it as a localrestaurant, dipping and diving and eating the fats off the top of the sewer cells, andwhatever else they can retrieve. Then the seagullscome onto the surrounding rooftops andregurgitate it to eat, especially when they are feeding young. This mustsurelyhave some serious health implications?
12. W e put up with the whole Island's excrement! Why should wealone suffer, when it iseveryone's responsibility? We realise the Treatment Works will notbemovedandthereforeaccept that only

capping, venting and housing the relevant areas will be the answer to this issue.

To support the residents/workers I ask the States today to request the Minister of Transport and Technical Services to bring forward a proposal from the Department to resolve the odour problem at Bellozanne, which we recognize is a large and complex project that will require several million pounds of expenditure. It is appreciated at this time that a figure is unavailable without a full engineering appraisal and risk assessment.

I am advised that it will be necessary to –

1. A  ssess the sewage treatment worksand identify the areaswhere smells emanate.Carry out an appraisal of the individual componentsin that area and determinethenumberof air changes required per hour.

T h i s will then determine whether the electrical appliances within that area will then fall into a

hazardous classification. If so, they will either have to be removed from that area or replaced with new equipment that falls within the zone classification for that area.

2. W ith the aboveinformation, the engineers can then prepare a capital estimate for the cost of buildings, enclosures, odour control equipmentand the cost of changing the electrical equipment to conform to the new hazardous zone requirements. Once this is done the Minister will be able to submit the necessary bid to the States' capital programme so that funds can bemadeavailable to enable the work to be completed.

Financial and manpower implications

The financial implications for the Minister for Transport and Technical Services of complying with this proposition itself are linked to the cost of the feasibility study and technical appraisal which I am advised may cost up to £100,000. The Minister has agreed to fund the initial odour survey and scoping work from the Department's budget. The balance will have to be provided from a planning vote for the detailed technical development work, should the scheme be approved in principle for inclusion in the forward capital programme. The costs of the actual remedial works are not known but are considered significant, certainly several million pounds. There is no headroom within the currently approved capital programme 2006 – 2010 to contain such costs without deferring or deleting an existing scheme of commensurate value.

The manpower implications of implementing the remedial works cannot be determined until a feasibility study has been undertaken.

APPENDIX

Form of petition

To H i s Excellency, Air Chief Marshal Sir John Cheshire KBE CB, Lieutenant Governor. To S ir Philip Bailhache , Bailiff , President.

To M e mbers of the States of Jersey,

"The humble petition of the residents/workers of the First Tower area shews, their concern about the smells permeating throughout the adjacent residential areas from the Waste Water Treatment Works and accordingly, your petitioners pray that, Environment and Public Services Committee shall endeavour to make funds available to resolve this problem and thus minimize these foul, unpleasant smells, which cause considerable nuisance in our daily lives and your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray."

PLEASE WRITE CLEARLY AND IN CAPITALS

434 signatures