Latest news with #wasteManagement
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Fire risk fears renewed before Rockliffe 'gasification' plant decision
Residents have raised fresh concerns about plans for a plant that would use rubbish to produce gas, ahead of a planning decision on the scheme being made on have obtained inspection reports from the Environment Agency (EA), seen by the BBC, some of which allege environmental breaches and increased fire risk at North West Recycling's (NWR) waste processing compound near Carlisle in recent proposed plant in Rockcliffe, which would generate electricity, would be part of the same firm pointed to recent EA reports which showed previous fire safety concerns had been addressed and said the project would have "no impact on human health or the environment". A large fire broke out at the waste site in 2021. Documents obtained by the BBC last year revealed EA inspectors, who attended at the time of the fire, alleged NWR had breached regulations on the storage of waste, resulting in a significant fire company denied the allegations and was not prosecuted over the blaze, which was deemed living nearby said the documents raised questions over the safety of the proposed "gasification" has said it would heat commercial and industrial waste such as film plastic and paper that cannot be recycled, so that they break down into a type of gas made up of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and other gas would then be burned to generate electricity for the site and the wider grid, according to the facility's environmental permit. But some people in the Rockcliffe area are worried about pollution and fire Story, a farmer who lives near the site, said "the air was thick" and "everything was noxious" when the 2021 fire said a similar incident, if a new gasification plant was built, would not be a "winning combination". Using Environmental Information Regulations, local opponents of the scheme have obtained more than 20 reports following inspections of NWR by the EA, dating from 2020 to late of the documents allege breaches of the company's environmental permit and the site's fire prevention plan at various Mudge, from Carlisle, sent some of the files to Cumberland Council, when it was considering whether to issue a new environmental permit for the proposed gasification plant. 'Endangering human health' Mr Mudge argued the reports cast doubt on whether the operator would abide by the conditions of any new permit and, therefore, that it should not be the council awarded the permit in April."How can the council be confident this site's going to comply with conditions when you see this record of endangering human health and unsafe fire practices?" Mr Mudge Bamber, on behalf of NWR, did not comment directly on the alleged breaches but pointed to an inspection report from last September and one from April that did not record any said the EA "consider NWR to be a competent and compliant waste management company", supported by the fact the agency had not objected to the gasification project. Mr Bamber said the company had commissioned a number of reports on the scheme's impact and the council's ecologist and Natural England had not raised any Council said it "engaged specialist independent consultants to review key aspects of the proposal and listened carefully to the advice of key specialist government bodies" before granting the environmental added it was "firmly committed" to protecting the public and had no grounds to believe the operator would not comply with the on Cumberland's planning committee are expected to decide whether the gasification plant will get planning permission on Friday, with officers recommending approval. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
The huge changes coming to annual Christmas Day party on Bronte Beach after spirited revellers left behind a trail of glass and rubbish two years in a row
A Sydney council which compared the mess left in the wake of a Christmas Day beach party to attendees 'sh***ing on our doorstep' will spend $220,000 on waste management, security and toilets for this year's event. Waverley Council considered a variety of new rules for the festive gathering at Bronte Beach during a meeting of councillors on Tuesday night. These measures included a stronger enforcement of the glass and booze ban with a strengthened police presence to crackdown on anti-social behaviour this year. Up to 15,000 people, including a large number of tourists, gather at the iconic beach to celebrate Christmas Day every year. But the event came under fire in 2023 when the council complained that crowds had left large amounts of rubbish and glass behind. 'It's basically people sh***ing on our doorstep,' local councillor Leon Goltsman told NewsWire on Boxing Day in 2023. 'The fact there is still broken glass there, people are cutting their feet, the fact people are still having illegal parties… the fact if anyone gets injured or hurt, we can't even get an ambulance to them because it is all blocked, it's unacceptable.' Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh told Newswire that the council didn't want to restrict access to the beach and surrounds by making it a fenced or ticketed event. The council on Tuesday will consider a strict glass bottle ban and increased police attendance An online survey commissioned by the council found fencing off the park was only supported by 25 per cent of locals. 'We heard the community loud and clear after Christmas in 2024,' Mayor Nemesh told 702 ABC Radio Sydney. 'Bronte is an absolutely spectacular part of the world. We want to ensure by implementing option three, all people can enjoy the public open spaces, but do so responsibly and respectfully. While alcohol is already banned on Bronte Beach and the surrounding park, the large number of people on Christmas Day means it is often smuggled in. Councillors is optimistic that a strict ban on glass and an increased police presence would deter people from drinking alcohol and engaging in anti-social behaviour. Waverley Council said the 15,000 people who visited the beach on Christmas Day last year was a 20 per cent increase on the previous years.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Environmental groups raise concerns about waste-to-energy option to handle Ottawa's garbage
A garbage truck picks up residential waste in Centretown Wednesday, May 29, 2024. as council gives rubber stamp to new curbside waste policy going into effect Sept. 30. (Leah Larocque/CTV News Ottawa) As Ottawa's Trail Road dump continues to fill up, the city is looking at possible options – including a waste-to-energy incinerator, which is raising concerns with some environmental groups. At the city's Environment and Climate Change Committee on Tuesday, councillors heard options from city staff about the next steps for dealing with the city's garbage and concerns from the public. The City of Ottawa has identified a waste-to-energy incinerator as one of the best options to deal with the city's future garbage, but it would cost between $497 million and $882 million to build and there is a complex regulatory approval process. With the Trail Road landfill expected to reach capacity in the next 10 to 15 years, the city is exploring options to deal with its trash. In 2023, council directed staff to explore 'proven technologies' to handle the city's future waste management needs, including looking at waste-to-energy incineration and mixed waste processing. 'Very problematic. It's concerning to see this being considered,' says William van Geest, the executive director of Ecology Ottawa. 'There are serious concerns from a health standpoint, from a climate standpoint, the pollution of air, water and soil. I don't like seeing it.' He says he'd like to see more of a focus on diversion instead. 'There are some fantastic organizations doing some great reuse of textiles, sharing materials of tools, sharing of equipment. The city had an option to pursue, pay-as you-throw, which would have reduced landfill contributions quite significantly,' he says. Angela Keller-Herzog, executive director of Community Action for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES) Ottawa says she is worried about pollutants. 'The reality is that there's hazardous, toxic ash that is produced. Some of it is filtered out, but some of it still goes up and then enters the rest of the environment, including deposition on soil and water,' she says. 'We have started to study the issue and learn more. There are some serious health concerns. So, we have asked that Ottawa Public Health be fully involved in the terms of reference for this next study, and that there should also be a public engagement where the public gets to know what's going on.' It's something city staff are considering. 'We'll want to investigate that further. Wanting to understand and work with our partners in Ottawa Public Health also work with the province and the federal government when it comes to those measures, in order to understand, to make sure that we're bringing the best information back for council's consideration,' says Shelley McDonald, City of Ottawa director of Solid Waste Services. She tells CTV News Ottawa the facility would be similar to the York-Durham site, just east of Toronto. She says a location for Ottawa's waste-to-energy facility, will be 'part of the next steps looking at siting and looking at those opportunities.' Timelines What the city decides to do will be a 'multi-year process,' which may end up being decided by the next term of council. 'So, if it's a new landfill or if it's a waste energy technology, there is an environmental assessment that needs to take place, plus environmental compliance approvals that are required. And so, that is a multi-year process that could take up to ten years in order to receive that approval. So, working very closely with the province in order ensuring that the air, land and water is the safety of air, land and water is maintained,' says McDonald. Capital Ward Coun. Shawn Menard, chair of the Environment and Climate Change Committee, says there is still time to get this right. 'We've given ourselves some breathing room. And we've got to make the right decision within that time that we've got now,' he says. 'It doesn't have to be a huge rush to make that decision. So, we want to get it right. And I think we are further along than we would have been before, based on the feasibility study staff have done and the options that we're moving forward with analyzing into early next term.' With files from CTV News Ottawa's Josh Pringle
ABC News
2 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Waverley Council to spend extra $220,000 to manage 'out of control' beach Christmas Day party
Sydney's Waverley Council will spend an extra $220,000 to manage a backpackers Christmas party that drew 15,000 people to a beach last year. The extra thousands of dollars will be spent on waste management, security, toilets and more enforcement of a ban on glass at Bronte Beach in Sydney's eastern suburbs. Bronte resembled a sea of mostly red-clad partygoers at the gathering at Christmas Day last year, which has been branded an "orphans" Christmas for travellers celebrating the holiday away from home. However, large piles of rubbish being left behind frustrated residents, prompting the local council to consider action. Bronte local Warren Livingstone told 702 ABC Radio Sydney the park behind the beach is "out of control" on Christmas Day and often is often left covered in bottletops and crushed glass. "I can't see any locals enjoying it. Without being a wowser, I just can't see how it's good for the community." Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh said council did not want to restrict access to public spaces. "We heard the community loud and clear after Christmas in 2024," Cr Nemesh told 702 ABC Radio Sydney. "But at the same time, where visitors come to Waverley we want them to be respectful, particularly of our locals." Cr Nemesh said there would be more bins and greater enforcement of a glass ban on the day. He also said council paid for the police to attend the beach last year. Waverley Council said the 15,000 people who visited the beach on Christmas Day last year was a 20 per cent increase compared to the year before. Council was also concerned about there being less space at Bronte on Christmas this year due to construction work at the surf club. Councillors were also presented with the option of turning Bronte into a fenced-off, alcohol-free ticketed event on Christmas Day. Waverley Council did not vote in favour of this option. An online survey run by council found the greatest support for increasing rubbish collection and security, with 56 per cent of the 119 responses. The option to fence off the park only garnered 25 per cent support.
CTV News
6 days ago
- CTV News
Lithium batteries sparking landfill fires
Winnipeg Watch The City of Winnipeg is warning that lithium-ion batteries have caused several fires in the Brady Landfill in recent months, and reminds people to be careful when disposing of them.
