Organic waste disposal and Mulch containing woodchip

1240/5(1779)

QUESTION TO BE ASKED OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE ON TUESDAY, 4th FEBRUARY 2003 BY THE DEPUTY OF ST. JOHN

Question

1. In late December 2003 the Crabbécompost site closed for organic waste. Will the President explain whether a permanentsolutionhasbeenfoundto the problemof organic wastedisposalinthe Island?
2. How does theCommitteeproposecleaning up the soil inmany areas around the Island wherelargestock piles of mulch containing woodchip,someof them on land adjacent to Island reservoirs, are foundandwhere leaching could have occurred over the last several months?
3. Has the Committee identified land where mulch with woodchip has been placed and ploughed in over recent years, and, ifso, what method is to beusedto clean up the land, to prevent crops from this land getting into the foodchain and whatcompensation,ifany,is to be paid to thelandowners concerned?
4. In recent yearsmanybanksaroundthe rifle range and gun ranges atCrabbé have been formed with mulch containing woodchip. Is it the intention of the Committeetoremovethesebanks and, if the answer is in the affirmative, what material is to be used to replace thebanks?
5. Will the President give members details ofhowmanytonsofmulch with woodchiphas been produced since the operation at Crabbébegan?

Answer

1. The Environment and Public Services and the EconomicDevelopmentCommittees and Departmentsare currently developing a short-term solution for agricultural waste, other than potatoes, for 2003. In discussion with industryrepresentativeson 30th December2002 it wasagreedthat, for the 2003 season, potato waste materials would be applied directly back to land. This isnot a long-term solution, however, because of the negative effecton plant health in subsequentyears.Thelong-term solution will form part of the overall waste strategy beingdevelopedby the Environment and Public Services Committee. The twoCommitteesand Departments are currently working together reviewing alternative compostingprocesses, aiming to identify a sustainable solution both for the organic waste from the agricultural industry, including potato waste, and for the Island's green waste.

T h is long term solution forms part of the integrated Waste Management Strategy which is the responsibility

of the new Environment and Public Services Committee. The President of that Committee will be making a statement to the Assembly before Easter advising Members and the general public on how the three key elements of recycling, composting and the replacement of the Bellozanne Incinerator are being integrated into the overall strategy.

2. Whilst the inclusionofChromatedCopperArsenate(CCA)treatedwoodchip into compostandmulchesat Crabbé is, in hindsight, seen to havebeen undesirable, the studies oftheCCAAssessment Group have shown that the healthofthe Island has not been compromisedinanymeasurable way.  Save atthesiteof the original borehole pollution incident, analyses have shown that cropsand milk have not been contaminated and that the levels ofcontaminants in water and soil elsewherein the Island are well below the levels that are considered acceptable. Onlythemulches themselves, and the soil immediatelybeneaththesemulchesand soils wherecomposthas been incorporated, appear to contain slightly raised levels ofthecontaminants,but still well below levels that would beof any concern.

A  s a precaution, mulches containing woodchip from Crabbé have already been removed from playing areas

in primary schools to eliminate any risk from those sources of small children transferring arsenic from contaminated woodchip to their mouths. Other mulches do not need to be removed.

3. The Committeeisawareoflands that havereceived such materials, andhaveno intention toremovethese from fields that produce food for human consumption - because it was concludedby the CCAAssessment Group that there is no need todoso. Furthermore, subjectto further researchon the leachability of arsenic from Crabbé soil conditioner,it is the intention for the remaining soil conditioner atCrabbé to be spread on farmland. This action is also supported by the CCAAssessmentGroup.

W  Rc, an independent specialist consultancy, has been contracted to undertake research with regard to the

leachability, and when results are known, the material will be spread at a rate recommended by WRc.

4. It isnot the intention of the Committeetoremovethesebanks, because there isnoneed to doso.Manyof them were constructedwithmaterialspriorto the introduction oftreatedwoodchip.Theone bank that does contain woodchipposesno threat.
5. The total tonnageofmaterialproduced from Crabbé since 1998 is estimated to be around138,000 tonnes. This total includes composted gardenwaste that did not have woodchip added.The amountwhichhas contained woodchipisnot currently available butcouldbeestimatedifrequired.