Circulate a list of materials put into the Bellozanne incinerator listing annual tonnage and grading the toxicity levels of each type of material also detail procedures for the disposal of ash and fly ash and frequency of toxicity testing

2.13. Deputy P.N. Troy of the Minister for Transport and Technical Services regarding the annual tonnage and toxicity levels of materials currently burned in the incinerator at Bellozanne:

Will the Minister undertake to circulate a list of materials being put into the Bellozanne incinerator to Members listing annual tonnage and grading the toxicity levels of each type of materials and suggest which toxic materials could be withdrawn from the incinerator input process within 6 months? Will he detail the current procedures for the disposal of ash and fly ash from the incinerator and provide the frequency of toxicity testing?

Deputy G.W.J. de Faye (The Minister for Transport and Technical Services):

As I am sure Members will appreciate, a list of materials being put into the Bellozanne incinerator would run to many thousands and I see that such a list would be entirely unhelpful to Members and I do not intend to provide a list based on that particular request. However, what I can say is that toxicity levels are, unfortunately, not available for each component part of the waste stream as materials differ from one manufacturer to another for even very simple products, and it would not be practicable to undertake individual chemical analysis of each particular product. However, in the past year, significant progress has been made in removing numerous items from the waste stream that are known to have toxic elements within them. This relates primarily to waste electrical and electronic equipment such as computers, D.V.D.s (Digital Versatile Disc), hi-fi equipment and televisions, and in the next 6 months further work will be undertaken to ensure that as much as practicable of these materials will continue to be removed from the incineration stream and sent to specialist recycling centres. With respect to ash, incinerator-bottom ash and fly ash are separated at the Energy from Waste plant and are stored separately at the plant. Then, each type of ash is transported in covered vehicles to the lined ash pits at La Collette.

1. Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier:

Would the Minister confirm that the large number of television sets will be recycled in an appropriate manner, albeit given the current difficulties? Secondly, are all rubber tyres being removed from the waste stream if at all possible?

Deputy G.W.J. de Faye:

Yes, I can give an assurance that all those elements that we classify as waste electrical and electronic equipment where we have recovered them will be properly recycled, although I am sure

the Deputy may be aware following a recent media article that we do not have the funds available at the moment to send them to the recycling plant so those materials are being stock piled. In respect to the tyres, I think I did make reference to this during the recent debate. Some tyres are shredded but it has been a determination the department has given that many of the current opportunities to so-call recycle them in fact, they end up being sent to cement kilns where they are burned, anyway. It is the current position that any excess we will burn as at least we are producing electricity from the incinerator from these burnt products. However, we would hope to address that situation over time.

2. Deputy C.J. Scott Warr en:

In view of the fact that Europe would not allow our Bellozanne incinerator to operate were we

within the European Union, has the Minister considered whether, under the Barr Convention, it

might under these circumstances be possible and permitted for us to ship waste to the coast of France, for instance, to the incinerator at Le Havre, in the interim period?

Deputy G.W.J. de Faye:

Those types of investigations have already been conducted by the department and we have had a response, as I have indicated, from the United Kingdom indicating that our opportunities to ship our waste to the U.K. were extremely unlikely. I have not had an opportunity to have a response from the French but I have to advise Members that, clearly, the response is likely to be the same.

3. Deputy R.C. Duhamel of St. Saviour :

The waste strategy indicates that roughly half of the waste electricals that are being sent to Bellozanne will be recycled as far as possible. Will the Minister confirm that it is still his intention to incinerate the other half?

Deputy G.W.J. de Faye:

I thought that was a fairly obvious conclusion. I have said what we can recover we will stockpile and what we cannot recover will, obviously, have to go into the incinerator. I do say, I am very pleased to see so many former members of the Public Services Committee of the year 2000 finally, after 8 years, taking such a great interest in the emissions coming out of the Bellozanne incinerator. Just a shame they did not do anything earlier.

4. Deputy K.C. Lewis :

During last week's incinerator debate, the Minister informed Members that the incinerator chimney at La Collette would have state of the art cleaning of flue gasses equipment.  As I pointed out in last week's debate, the prevailing winds are south-westerly which will still blow over St. Helier, St. Saviour and St. Clement. Will the Minister assure Members that when the new incinerator comes on line, that no toxic metals will be admitted to the plant?

Deputy G.W.J. de Faye:

I am afraid I cannot possibly give that assurance as I am sure the Deputy well knows, and if he would like to come down to the incinerator I would be very pleased if he could see the operations and he will probably have a fuller understanding about why I cannot give that assurance. It is not possible for either me or any member of Transport and Technical Services Department to investigate every black bag that arrives via the rubbish collection facilities from all the Parishes. Consequently, it is a matter of total impossibility to know quite what is in those bags but the department, of course, will take every step over time to eliminate those types of toxic hazards.

5. Connétable K.A. Le Brun of St. Mary :

As we have just heard that only 50 per cent of the black sacks or the stuff within the material ... is the Minister going to put added pressure on the Minister for Treasury and Resources for ... not only is he most willing to spend £105 million plus in the future but it seems every time we hear about more recycling, there is no money to do it. Is he confident that there will be more money to do more recycling so that the 50 per cent that is still going in the incinerator will be taken out before it goes to the incinerator?

Deputy G.W.J. de Faye:

Yes, I am hugely confident in getting more resources for recycling because I know I have the full backing and active support of the Environment Scrutiny Panel in that matter.

6. Deputy P.V.F. Le Claire:

It would be interesting to see when the Minister will come back requesting money to support the strategy for the new incinerator which did talk about the increase in recycling. In the interim, while we look forward to supporting that as we supported the previous proposition to give him more money to recycle, will he undertake with his officers to investigate whether or not more could be done to encourage building suppliers and wholesalers that provide the public with a large portion of material for the building trade - paint, timber,  et cetera - whether or not they could establish recycling facilities at their depots to encourage the public, when they return to purchase more, to bring their recyclables, to bring their empties and work in harmony with the eco-active programme that has been championed by the Economic Development Department for businesses in this respect with the building industry?

Deputy G.W.J. de Faye:

In answer to what I think was the question, yes, I agree. It will be interesting to see what proposals that I will be bringing forward on recycling and if the Deputy would care to refer to the very large documents that he has received today in respect of the Draft Annual Business Plan, he will see the sort of requests that I have already put forward.

7. Deputy P.V.F. Le Claire:

He did not really take up my suggestion that, perhaps there could be an approach taken by his department to begin negotiations with the building companies that supply materials to the residents of Jersey to initiate recycling and bring-back centres of their own. Would he be willing to investigate that with his officers to help us achieve a greater level of recycling without necessarily cost to the people that are not profiting from the producing of this material?

Deputy G.W.J. de Faye:

As the Deputy as I am sure is aware, the department already carries out very extensive relations with not only schools but local businesses precisely on the matter of recycling, which is why we employ a very hard working recycling officer. I should also remind the Deputy , as he was very profuse with his congratulations, that we have the brand new £150,000 reuse and recycling centre at Bellozanne which includes specific facilities for people engaged in such activities as building and decoration to dispose of things like old paint and paint pots. So, we are already doing this sort of thing.

8. Deputy P.N. Troy :

I am advised that a large batch of computers recently went into the incinerator in the last couple of weeks. Does the Minister feel that by not withdrawing metals and tyres and plastics from the incinerator process that his department are endangering the health of residents of Bellozanne and

that might be reckless in itself in that he has no regard for the health of the residents of the district. Can he not seriously consider a proper way of dealing with metals? It just needs proper extraction methods to take them out of the process and does he acknowledge that his department is not doing enough in this area? It has a blatant disregard for people's health.

Deputy G.W.J. de Faye:

If the Deputy seriously thinks that the Transport and Technical Services Department and myself - who, as it happens, is a representative of the constituents of St. Helier No. 3 who live around the Bellozanne area and La Pouquelaye where the emissions from Bellozanne chimney are falling on

top of them on a constant basis If the Deputy is suggesting that I do not take this issue seriously,

he is very, very misguided indeed. Indeed, I would say to the Deputy and the Members of the Environmental Scrutiny Panel who have been so critical, that under my leadership and thanks to the previous work of Senator Ozouf as President of the Environment and Public Service Committee, something has now been done about the emissions at Bellozanne. They will come to an end when we build the new incinerator and I would ask some other Members to reflect on just what actions they have taken when they had responsibility.