Latest news with #Spalding
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Spalding cemetery expansion 'essential', says council
A Lincolnshire council is exploring ways to expand a cemetery before it runs out of space. South Holland District Council said extending the cemetery in Spalding was "essential", although it was not possible to know when capacity would be reached. Environmental tests are being conducted at the Chiltern Drive playing field in Spalding to see if it could be used. However, some residents said the playing field should be protected as it is regularly used by children, teenagers and dog walkers. One resident, David Jones, said: "There are far too many children staying at home and not playing out anymore and if they've got somewhere like this, which is really safe, I think they should be encouraged to come here. "If it's turned into a burial ground, children will have nowhere to go. They'll be penned in their houses, which is a tragedy really."Rodney Marks also lives nearby. He said: "South Holland District Council need to look a bit further than using green spaces that we have available for exercise and recreation." In 2012, a planning application was made to extend the cemetery into the playing field. An amended application was then submitted in 2014, but more than 100 people signed a petition against the plans. An objection was also made by Sport England. The plans were rejected in 2015 due to an unacceptable loss of recreational open space. The environmental tests are now being conducted to see if burials would have an impact on groundwater levels, the council said. A spokesperson added: "This initial work will run until autumn, and, if the ground is not suitable for such purpose, the process would then stop."No decision to proceed will be made without considering all the opportunities, impacts and risks."The Law Commission - an independent body which reviews legislation in England and Wales - is proposing a widespread change in burial could result in existing graves being reused to address national burial space council said it would like to "reach a positive position within the next 12 months to help protect" the service in Spalding. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
Attempted murder arrests after Gosberton High Street attack
Five people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was attacked near Police said the victim, who is in his 40s, was taken to hospital after suffering serious injuries in the assault outside a property on High Street, Gosberton, in the early hours of 10 men, aged 21 and 43, and two women, aged 24 and 42, were held on suspicion of attempted murder last week but all four were released on bail.A 24-year-old man arrested on Sunday afternoon for the same offence had also been released on bail while inquiries continued, the force said. Officers have appealed for witnesses or anyone with information to get in touch. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Q&A: can recycling help companies prepare for a lithium boom?
An anticipated spike in lithium demand is causing companies to reconsider their supply chains, with the International Energy Agency estimating that lithium supply for clean energy technologies needs to increase by 90% to meet its Sustainable Development Scenario. To help meet this target, the need to establish a robust and sustainable recycling industry is more pressing than ever before. Danielle Spalding, VP of communications & public affairs at battery recycling company Cirba Solutions, says that the rising role of AI and data centres is driving energy storage demand and challenging critical mineral supply, putting an additional squeeze on the industry. Mining Technology speaks to Spalding about the current state of the lithium recycling industry, the need for international collaboration to diversify supply chains, and how companies in Australia and beyond can look to bolster their recycling capabilities. Danielle Spalding (DS): The last five years have been very different to the past 25 in the world of recycling. I think one of the biggest reasons for the shift is the focus on electrification for all. Countries are realising that to compete on a global scale, they have to be able to strengthen domestic supply chains, to do more business domestically and have stronger exports of critical minerals. The most recent insights show that around 25% of lithium supply will come from recycled materials (what we call secondary content) by 2040. That is a quarter of all lithium supply coming from recycled content. To compare this, cobalt will have over 35% recycled content by 2040 and nickel will have a slightly smaller percentage – around 12%. We are really at the cusp of a big change in recycling – one that has already begun. The trick at the moment is for us to consider how we can collaborate internationally to generate these additional resources. Places like Australia and Europe are looking at how to enhance technology to domesticate critical mineral refinement. They are also now having to meet renewable energy targets, reduce emissions, as well as manage the pressures of various geopolitical issues. All of this comes into play when considering the lithium supply chain. DS: The more control you have over the supply chain, the more stable you are. China currently has the highest refinery of any of the critical minerals. More than likely, the majority of battery materials in Australia are going to China or South Korea for refinement. The goal now should be to domesticate more of this process than is currently seen to close the loop on these critical minerals. We are already seeing mining companies trying to diversify portfolios into recycled content options. There is no longer a focus on one particular element of the supply chain, because companies now know they have to demonstrate the ability to increase their critical minerals supply to meet increasing demand. DS: It is a tough pivot for companies that have historically focused on traditional types of refinement, because refining a used battery is very different from refining a virgin material. While there may be some similarities in the feedstock or the input of material in used batteries, the overall process is different by chemistry. We are seeing Europe and North America currently sharing a lot more with regards to information resources, and you see a lot more of the regulatory landscape changing. In the UK there is the battery passport – every region has its own unique approach to controlling the critical minerals sector. Because Australia has such vast resources, spread out over huge areas, it has different needs when it comes to transportation networks and infrastructure developments when compared with places in Europe. So, the shift to more stable battery refining processes is under way, but it is not an easy change for companies. DS: The computing power of AI tools is only going to increase. That means you need more data powering capacity, which means you need power backups. Often that has to be battery power at this point. We are going to need a significant increase in battery power as we see this increase in computing demands. However, there is also an element of AI that is being used in the battery recycling process itself, where it is being used to integrate software into material recovery facilities. There are now tools being implemented to sort and scan materials for battery content, so it doesn't go into the wrong kind of processing. We have had multiple versions of AI usage in our own organisation, whether that is through X-ray scanning or AI-learning tools to help it sort the materials coming in. I think that you are going to see significant battery adoption from an AI computing standpoint ─ and you are going to want to see those companies add in partnerships with organisations that help recycle. DS: This is going to sound simplistic, but I can assure you, it is not. I think the barrier is education. A lot of consumers don't understand they can recycle their batteries and, even if they do, they often don't know where to go to recycle them. Part of this education is establishing the infrastructure to help people recycle batteries. In somewhere like Australia where there is a lot of farmland, people may not have a convenient location to bring the batteries from their farming equipment – all of these processes take work and they take time. It is going to continue to be a little bit higher of a cost, but we have to get up to that point so we can then help make batteries more cost effective. We want to be able to help support a reduction in consumer and business costs so that this recycling process becomes a known, viable option. DS: We need to see those types of partnerships in greater magnitude for the future to help reach critical mineral supply goals, both in terms of what organisations have set for themselves and the goals that each individual country has set for itself. Consumers today are demanding a more renewable product overall. Each generation that comes into the market has a higher expectation of that. Even without this environmental, social and governance element, there is also an incentive to strengthen supply chains from a national security perspective. DS: There is a significant opportunity to expand the infrastructure necessary to safely collect, process and reuse lithium batteries at scale. We also need to close the education gap so that consumers and businesses better understand the value of lithium battery recycling and the importance of recovering those critical resources to be reused. Equally important is addressing the economic model of the industry. The industry needs to set reasonable expectations, so we can create a thriving and diversified market for the future. "Q&A: can recycling help companies prepare for a lithium boom?" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Q&A: can recycling help companies prepare for a lithium boom?
An anticipated spike in lithium demand is causing companies to reconsider their supply chains, with the International Energy Agency estimating that lithium supply for clean energy technologies needs to increase by 90% to meet its Sustainable Development Scenario. To help meet this target, the need to establish a robust and sustainable recycling industry is more pressing than ever before. Danielle Spalding, VP of communications & public affairs at battery recycling company Cirba Solutions, says that the rising role of AI and data centres is driving energy storage demand and challenging critical mineral supply, putting an additional squeeze on the industry. Mining Technology speaks to Spalding about the current state of the lithium recycling industry, the need for international collaboration to diversify supply chains, and how companies in Australia and beyond can look to bolster their recycling capabilities. Danielle Spalding (DS): The last five years have been very different to the past 25 in the world of recycling. I think one of the biggest reasons for the shift is the focus on electrification for all. Countries are realising that to compete on a global scale, they have to be able to strengthen domestic supply chains, to do more business domestically and have stronger exports of critical minerals. The most recent insights show that around 25% of lithium supply will come from recycled materials (what we call secondary content) by 2040. That is a quarter of all lithium supply coming from recycled content. To compare this, cobalt will have over 35% recycled content by 2040 and nickel will have a slightly smaller percentage – around 12%. We are really at the cusp of a big change in recycling – one that has already begun. The trick at the moment is for us to consider how we can collaborate internationally to generate these additional resources. Places like Australia and Europe are looking at how to enhance technology to domesticate critical mineral refinement. They are also now having to meet renewable energy targets, reduce emissions, as well as manage the pressures of various geopolitical issues. All of this comes into play when considering the lithium supply chain. DS: The more control you have over the supply chain, the more stable you are. China currently has the highest refinery of any of the critical minerals. More than likely, the majority of battery materials in Australia are going to China or South Korea for refinement. The goal now should be to domesticate more of this process than is currently seen to close the loop on these critical minerals. We are already seeing mining companies trying to diversify portfolios into recycled content options. There is no longer a focus on one particular element of the supply chain, because companies now know they have to demonstrate the ability to increase their critical minerals supply to meet increasing demand. DS: It is a tough pivot for companies that have historically focused on traditional types of refinement, because refining a used battery is very different from refining a virgin material. While there may be some similarities in the feedstock or the input of material in used batteries, the overall process is different by chemistry. We are seeing Europe and North America currently sharing a lot more with regards to information resources, and you see a lot more of the regulatory landscape changing. In the UK there is the battery passport – every region has its own unique approach to controlling the critical minerals sector. Because Australia has such vast resources, spread out over huge areas, it has different needs when it comes to transportation networks and infrastructure developments when compared with places in Europe. So, the shift to more stable battery refining processes is under way, but it is not an easy change for companies. DS: The computing power of AI tools is only going to increase. That means you need more data powering capacity, which means you need power backups. Often that has to be battery power at this point. We are going to need a significant increase in battery power as we see this increase in computing demands. However, there is also an element of AI that is being used in the battery recycling process itself, where it is being used to integrate software into material recovery facilities. There are now tools being implemented to sort and scan materials for battery content, so it doesn't go into the wrong kind of processing. We have had multiple versions of AI usage in our own organisation, whether that is through X-ray scanning or AI-learning tools to help it sort the materials coming in. I think that you are going to see significant battery adoption from an AI computing standpoint ─ and you are going to want to see those companies add in partnerships with organisations that help recycle. DS: This is going to sound simplistic, but I can assure you, it is not. I think the barrier is education. A lot of consumers don't understand they can recycle their batteries and, even if they do, they often don't know where to go to recycle them. Part of this education is establishing the infrastructure to help people recycle batteries. In somewhere like Australia where there is a lot of farmland, people may not have a convenient location to bring the batteries from their farming equipment – all of these processes take work and they take time. It is going to continue to be a little bit higher of a cost, but we have to get up to that point so we can then help make batteries more cost effective. We want to be able to help support a reduction in consumer and business costs so that this recycling process becomes a known, viable option. DS: We need to see those types of partnerships in greater magnitude for the future to help reach critical mineral supply goals, both in terms of what organisations have set for themselves and the goals that each individual country has set for itself. Consumers today are demanding a more renewable product overall. Each generation that comes into the market has a higher expectation of that. Even without this environmental, social and governance element, there is also an incentive to strengthen supply chains from a national security perspective. DS: There is a significant opportunity to expand the infrastructure necessary to safely collect, process and reuse lithium batteries at scale. We also need to close the education gap so that consumers and businesses better understand the value of lithium battery recycling and the importance of recovering those critical resources to be reused. Equally important is addressing the economic model of the industry. The industry needs to set reasonable expectations, so we can create a thriving and diversified market for the future. "Q&A: can recycling help companies prepare for a lithium boom?" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
State composting law took aim at greenhouse gases. Illegal dumping was a byproduct
A California law aimed at reducing the amount of climate-harming greenhouse gases at landfills is exacerbating the problem of illegal dumping in the Antelope Valley, according to local officials and residents. The law, dubbed California's Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy, requires residents and businesses to separate food waste, yard trimmings and other organic waste from their trash to reduce the amount of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, being emitted into the atmosphere. Signed into law in 2016, the bill mandated a gradual increase in the amount of organic waste that must be diverted away from landfills to sites where the waste could be treated and composted, thus reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. The law required the diversion of 50% of all green and food waste from landfills by 2020; by 2025, that number was to hit 75%. A separate law closed a legal loophole that had previously encouraged waste haulers to cover landfill debris with green waste. Although experts say the law appears to be working in most regions of the state, the Los Angeles area has been a problem. They say the city of Los Angeles and many of its surrounding municipalities haven't invested in the infrastructure needed to process increased organic waste, nor is there the agricultural demand for the finished product that there is farther north. "Illegal dumping has been a problem in the Antelope Valley for decades," said Chuck Bostwick, a senior field deputy for Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents much of the area. "But, since these laws were passed, it's gotten markedly worse." Bostwick said state regulations have made disposal of organic waste "much more expensive and hard to deal with," and therefore increased the financial incentives for waste haulers to dump illegally, thus circumventing the high processing costs of composting and treating the material. Antelope Valley residents say there are dozens or more rogue dump sites across the region. Although a few are just straight-up garbage and trash, most of the more than 80 identified by residents appear to be some form of unprocessed mulch. One such site, located in San Bernardino County near the El Mirage Dry Lake bed, gave off a rancid smell on a cool spring afternoon. The material underfoot was dark brown and appeared to be a mix of wood chips and woody debris, dotted with cast-off rubber and plastic — the shred of a Spalding basketball here, a purple plastic squirrel there. The stumps of dead Joshua trees jutted from the fetid ground cover, while a few others, still alive, appeared anemic and were adorned in wispy strands of plastic debris and dust. A lawsuit filed this year in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles by Antelope Valley residents claims that waste-hauling companies including Athens Services and California Waste Services are dumping hazardous substances without authorization, which the companies deny. Athens noted that the law encourages the distribution of compostable material to 'farmers and other property owners for beneficial use.' It's this interpretation of land-application that has caused consternation among the valley's desert-dwelling residents: There are no laws preventing landowners from applying compost to their fields or property. According to Bostwick and others, landowners in the Antelope Valley are granting permission for waste haulers to come and dump on their property in return for payment. That's completely legitimate, according to Lance Klug, a spokesman for CalRecycle, the state's waste agency. Property owners can spread waste on their land, he said as long as the material is compostable and not mixed with non-organic material; contains less than 0.5% of plastic, metal or other contaminants; contains only minimal amounts of metals and pathogens; and is not deposited in piles higher than 6 inches. At sites such as the one near El Mirage, the legality of the material is questionable. A spreadsheet compiled by CalRecycle officials during a visit in November describes the waste as "illegal." But at other sites, the waste appears to be in line with state regulations. But even if it is legal, its presence threatens to cause lasting damage to the desert ecosystem, said Wesley Skelton, assistant land manager at the Portal Ridge Wildlife Preserve, a protected area near the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. Yard trimmings often contain seeds of invasive plant species and toxic herbicides, he said, and mulching is also problematic, disrupting fragile ecosystems, contributing to poor air quality and potentially the spread of the dust-loving fungus that causes Valley fever. "We're concerned that these landowners aren't having to do any environmental impact report when they do dump on their land," Skelton said. "The effects of these dumpings are long-lasting habitat destruction, and introduction of invasive plants that's going to affect the air quality of Lancaster and Palmdale for years to come." "We put in a lot of effort to combat these plants— the Russian thistle and the mustard and all the different grasses and everything," Skelton said, naming two invasive species that are crowding out the native flora. "It's a huge problem." Nick Lapis, director of Californians Against Waste, doesn't think the composting laws are the problem in the Antelope Valley. He said dumping has been happening there for more than decade — long before the composting laws were in place. Irrespective of the cause, it is a big problem, he said, and state and local enforcement agencies need to stop it — both by requiring jurisdictions to track waste, at every step of its journey, and implementing a clear strategy for enforcement. "It is outrageous that while some companies are investing millions in legitimate composting operations — real facilities with real customers and real climate benefits — others are just dumping raw green waste in the desert and calling it farming," he said. "It's a slap in the face to everyone doing the right thing." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
