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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND TECHNICAL SERVICES BY THE DEPUTY OF ST. MARY
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 28th APRIL 2009
Question
Further to a written response to a question on 24th March 2009, would the Minister now provide details of all CNIM incinerator plants built in the UK, give details of when pollution limits at these plants were exceeded, the reasons they occurred, and for those plants where exceedances took place, an explanation of why the department believes that such failings will not apply to the Jersey CNIM plant.
Answer
The Energy from Waste plants built by CNIM in the UK are:
S o u th East London Combined Heat and Power Plant, Lewis ham 1 9 9 4 S ta f fo rdshire County Council, Stoke on Trent 1 9 9 7
D u d l ey Metropolitan Council, Dudley 1 9 9 8
W o l v erhampton Metropolitan Borough Council, Wolverhampton 1 9 9 8 H a m p shire City Council, Chineham 2 0 0 2
H a m p shire City Council, Marchwood 2 0 0 4
H a m p shire City Council, Portsmouth 2 0 0 5
S h e ff ield City Council, Sheffield 2 0 0 7
Details of if and when pollution limits are exceeded at these plants are held by the Environment Agency who regulate waste to energy facilities in the United Kingdom via the Environmental Permitting scheme.
As was indicated in the previous answer to written question 4635, emission limits for this type of plant are extremely tightly regulated under the European Waste Incineration Directive.
According to the Environment Agency records provided by the Department's Technical Adviser, none of the four most modern CNIM plants have had any recorded emission breaches.
It is important to recognise that a breach is not evidence of an environmental problem and is not an offence in the United Kingdom. Limits are set at levels well below those likely to cause any environmental concern.
Where a breach is reported, the Environment Agency will investigate to see what has happened and what action is appropriate. If the breach is significant, the Environment Agency will take immediate action such as imposing "Improvement" or "Prohibition Notices". In the majority of the breaches no action is taken and is only necessary if the breaches become persistent.
Of the four older CNIM plants, it is understood that breaches for Hydrogen Chloride and Carbon Monixde have occurred. In the large majority of breaches, simple actions such as removal of blockages or better control and mixing of waste entering the plant rapidly resolve the issue.
Modern plants are better designed to cope with such issues. The Jersey plant is designed in line with the modern plants such as that in Sheffield incorporating similar gas cleaning and monitoring equipment, and will be operated to the same standards.
Since the end of 2006, the CNIM plant in Sheffield has had no reported breaches of air emissions. To have no reported emission limit breaches in over two years attests to the quality of the plant and the way the plant is operated. Emissions are continuously monitored which enables the operator to take appropriate actions if required during any potential disturbances.