Appendix 1

TRANSPORT AND TECHNICAL SERVICES SOLID WASTE STRATEGY PROJECTS IN-VESSEL COMPOST PROJECT

SITE EVALUATION PROCESS

SUMMARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT SCRUTINY PANEL 3 AUGUST 2007

TRANSPORT AND TECHNICAL SERVICES SOLID WASTE STRATEGY PROJECTS IN-VESSEL COMPOST PROJECT

SITE EVALUATION PROCESS

SUMMARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT SCRUTINY PANEL 3 AUGUST 2007

Introduction

The Environment Scrutiny Panel have asked the Minister for Transport and Technical Services to attend the Panel to discuss composting.

This paper summarises progress in the evaluation of sites for developing a replacement in-vessel compost facility or facilities.

Background

In July 2005, the States approved the Solid Waste Strategy (p95/2005) which identified the need for a replacement composting facility for green waste with room for expansion to accommodate agricultural or kitchen waste should this become necessary. La Collette was identified as a possible location for such a facility subject to health and safety, environmental, traffic and planning requirements being addressed.

In January and February 2006, the Council of Ministers received presentations on the preferred location for the replacement composting facility (and a new re-use and recycling facility) from the Minister and Chief Officer of Transport and Technical Services. The presentation indicated that following a detailed review of sites in States ownership two sites had been identified as possible locations for the replacement facility these being La Collette in the Parish of St Helier and Warwick Farm in Parish of St Helier. The Council determined that it favoured the use of La Collette for both the replacement composting and re-use and recycling facilities.

Subsequently in May 2006, the Council received a presentation from the Assistant Minister and Chief Officer of Transport and Technical Services and were advised that Deputy Paul Le Claire had formed a Working Party to investigate agricultural solutions for the composting of green waste. The Minister undertook to give further consideration to this matter and as a result agreed to await the outcome of the Working Party before progressing site evaluation further. The Working Party report on Composting was published in October 2006.

In November 2006, Transport and Technical Services agreed to review the potential offered by privately owned sites for a long-term replacement for the current La Collette green waste composting operation in addition to the States owned sites that were already under consideration.

Public expressions of interest for a site or sites for composting were then issued in December 2006 and January 2007. The wording of the expression of interest public notice was discussed and agreed in advance with the Deputy on behalf of his Working Party into composting and with the Chair of the Environment Scrutiny Committee on behalf of that committee.

Site Evaluation Process

11 organisations submitted expressions of interest in response to the public notice and 18 potential sites were put forward within those expressions of interest. These included sites that were potentially suitable for public reception and some which were potentially suitable for waste treatment.

Each of the 11 private organisations submitting an expression of interest were contacted to formally confirm the details of their site against all the criteria indicated within the public notice and visits were undertaken to all sites between February and April to validate site details.

A review of site selection criteria and the evaluation process was undertaken to ensure that the evaluation process can properly assess solutions incorporating a combination of sites at different locations not just single sites, and to enable the evaluation of both States-owned and Privately-owned sites.

A three stage evaluation process has been developed. In stage 1, all sites would be evaluated against the expression of interest requirements. In stage 2, detailed technical screening would be undertaken to eliminate sites or combinations of sites with little or no potential of offering a viable solution. In stage 3 a detailed financial and legal assessment of the remaining sites would be undertaken to identify the best available solution.

Implications of the La Collette Hazard Review

The release of a United Kingdom Health and Safety Executive consultation (CD211) on the potential implications of vapour cloud explosions at fuel farms such as the one at La Collette was issued in February 2007. This prompted the La Collette Hazard Review Group to conduct a specific hazard risk assessment of the implications. Phase 1 of this review has recently been completed and indicates that it is unlikely that new publicly accessible facilities are likely to be considered suitable in the La Collette area for the foreseeable future.

This effects the proposed relocation of public, but not commercial reception facilities for green waste at La Collette. This is because commercial reception can be considered a low-sensitivity use in hazard terms.

Alternative locations for temporary public receptions are therefore actively being considered in parallel with the site evaluation process for the permanent replacement composting facility or facilities. In accordance with the Solid Waste Strategy, it is proposed to co-locate public "bring" recycling facilities with the proposed sites wherever possible.

Stage 1 (Screening) - Process

The first stage of site evaluation was divided into two sections A and B. The first section (1A) considered:

• Access
• Utility connections
• Planning zoning

Sites that completed this initial assessment were then considered against Section 1B criteria:

• Site area
• Distance from sensitive receptors

Site area (footprint) calculations were developed following a review of all of the types of composting process technology submitted by companies who have formally expressed interest in the procurement for a replacement composting facility. The review identified that

1. The choice of technology has a relatively small impact on the overall site footprint requirements.
2. The actual area required for composting and maturation account for only a small proportion of the total site area.
3. The requirement for at least 30m separation between main process building doors and the covered reception area for bio-aerosol safety was identified by a specialist consultant. This significantly increases the length of site roads and the overall site area for all facilities.

Stage 1 Results

The first stage of site evaluation has been completed with 12 of the sites (6 private and 6 States-owned) being identified as being suitable for progression to stage 2.

The sites progressed to Stage 2 are:

Of the sites not being progressed, 12 were eliminated in Stage 1A for being located within the Zone of Outstanding National Character or Green Zone. Proposals within the Green Zone are not suitable as under Policy C5 of the Island Plan:

"Proposals for new developments which must occur outside the built-up area will only be permitted in the Green Zone where it is demonstrated that there are no suitable alternative sites available in the Countryside Zone"

Should no suitable location be identified within the built up area then these Green Zone sites may be re-visited. Five sites were rejected in Stage 1A as they either had insufficient access for the projected traffic volumes

A single site was identified during Stage 1B as having insufficient area.

Sites which have been progressed were forwarded under one or more of the facility type options in Table 1 below.

Table 1

Stage 2 - (Technical Evaluation) - Process

The second stage of site evaluation is considering in cooperation with colleagues in Planning, Environment and Public Health the following criteria:

Planning Criteria

• Compatibility with Island Plan
• Visual impact
• Biodiversity
• Heritage impact

Operational Criteria

• Power connection
• Drainage connection
• Level site

Environmental Criteria

• Nuisance (based on noise)

• Bio-aerosol risk
• Hazard zoning

Access / Transportation Criteria

• Proximity to Waste origin
• Traffic junction and access requirements

Impact on Programme Vacant Possession

To speed up the evaluation process by reducing the number of solutions which undergo detailed evaluation, Stage 2 has been sub-divided into two sections A and B.

In section A, solutions (single sites or combinations of sites) which fail on any single criteria such that the solution is considered unviable will be eliminated.

In Section B, all solutions which complete section A will receive evaluation against all the criteria receiving a score between +2 and -2. A weighting will be applied to each criteria to provide an overall score. The scoring of relevant criteria will be undertaken by officers from other States Departments.

The top scoring solutions will be progressed to Stage 3 assessment. No more than five solutions will be progressed due to the cost and complexity of Stage 3 evaluation.

Stage 3 - (Financial, Legal and Technical Evaluation) - Process

The third stage of site evaluation will consider in cooperation with colleagues in Property Services, Planning, Environment and Public Health the following criteria:

Technical criteria

More detailed assessment of the Technical criteria from Stage 2 plus: Operational Criteria

• Ground condition for construction

Environmental Criteria

• Nuisance (based on noise, odour, dust, vibration, traffic)

Access / Transportation Criteria

• Traffic pre-feasibility assessment

Financial Criteria

• Capital cost
• Operational cost

Property Criteria

• Land value

Legal Criteria

• Covenants, ownership or other legal restrictions
• Planning or other enforcement related restrictions

It is currently anticipated that Stage 2 will be completed and submitted for Ministerial approval during August 2007 with Stage 3 completed during September 2007. The Minister has undertaken to return to the Waste Strategy Steering Group with the results of the Stage 3 assessment before progressing this further.

Programme

If a clear winning solution is identified during September, an outline planning application will be developed in the Autumn with a view to issuing tenders in early 2008. Detailed planning consent would then be sought in the summer of 2008 with contract award being sought in the autumn of 2008. Construction is estimated at between 12 and 18 months enabling a replacement facility to be operational late in 2009 or early in 2010.

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WG 01/07/2007