Environment - Approved Panel Minutes - 27 July 2007

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Agenda matter

Action

1

Minutes of the meeting of 10th July 2007 were approved

2

Matters  arising -  The  Panel  reconsidered  its  contribution  to  the Scrutiny  Newsletter  and  reconfirmed  its  agreement  to  publicise  its forthcoming reviews in the newsletter.

3.

Design of Homes Review - The Scrutiny Officer circulated copies of the draft report. Members were requested to return comments by 1st August 2007. The Panel agreed to consider a proposal for a joint visit to Sweden in September with the Planning and Environment Minister.

Deputy P. Le Claire requested that reference to him as lead member be removed from the report as he had not significantly participated in its development.

4.

Waste  Recycling  Review - The  Panel  considered  the  Minister's response to its report and noted that he had dismissed many of the Panel's findings. It was agreed

• to issue a press release as soon as possible responding to the Minister's assertions;

to submit a detailed response to the Minister as soon as possible clarifying in robust terms the evidence already gathered by the Panel in support of the conclusions in its report. The Chairman indicated  that  certain  essential  evidence  had  been  received  in confidence from recycling operations in the course of the site visits in the United Kingdom and in France. The Chairman circulated a draft response to the Minister's comments and asked members to feed back their comments to him by 1st August 2007;

• to  request  the  Minister  to  substantiate  his  comments  and  to provide a detailed reply before the end of the month (August)
• to invite the Minister to a public hearing in early September to discuss this reply;
• to use written and oral questions in the States to pursue lines of questioning in any areas where it believed that the Minister failed to provide satisfactory answers;

• to seek endorsement of its report from respected experts in the field. The Chairman agreed to approach the Panel's adviser for

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suggestions of individuals to approach;

to defer the planned Parish road-shows until the above process had been completed. The Panel was of the view that these road- shows  would  be  more  appropriate  to  counter  the  Minister's proposition on waste management once this had been lodged au Greffe'.

The Panel considered a draft leaflet regarding cost neutral recycling in Jersey. It felt that this should be more user-friendly' if it were to make an impact with the general public and agreed that

The Panel noted the responses received to date from major United Kingdom  supermarkets  regarding  the  use  of  organic  waste  on agricultural land. It was agreed to await further responses.

The Panel agreed to request Mr. Lamballais to prepare a detailed proposal for a possible visit to Brussels in respect of the people to be met and the purpose of those meetings. The Panel agreed to invite the Minister for Planning and Environment to accompany them on the visit should it decide to proceed and participate, the Chairman agreed to extend the invitation to the Minister. It was noted that the visit would cover more than just waste related issues and afford an opportunity to discuss  issues  relating  to  the  provision  of  future  energy  supply development. The Panel directed the officer to take the necessary administrative  action  should  the  Chairman  obtain  the  Ministers confirmation to attend.

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5

Debate of P.85/2007

The Panel considered the comments of the Transport and Technical Services Minister in the transcript of the debate on P.85/2007. It was considered that a number of his remarks were misleading; for example, his assertions that

1. ongoing  investigations  into  alternative  technologies  had  caused delays in reaching a decision about disposal of solid waste and the loss of an important tenderer and

2. The  Composting  working  party  report  had  ignored  certain information on supermarket protocols on the use of food waste and sewerage sludge on agricultural fields.

The Panel agreed that the Minister should be required to substantiate or retract a number of assertions he had made in his speech. These matters would be addressed in the hearing planned for the beginning of September.

6.

Composting site

The Panel agreed to invite the Minister to a public hearing on 3rd August  2007  to  discuss  progress  with  the  composting  site  at  La Collette, specifically

• his response to the recommendations of the Composting working party and

• his timetable for providing in-vessel equipment
• reasons why the Composting site is not closed when winds cause the dispersal of spores to neighbouring areas.

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7.

States Annual Business Plan

The  Panel  agreed  that  it  would  be  appropriate  to  comment  on  a number of issues in the draft Business Plan, for example

• car parks, including the replacement of Gas Place
• composting facilities in the countryside
• town park