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Isle of Man Government
PLANNING COMMITTEE SECRETARY'S OFFICE
21 JUL 1989
REF. 8910772
Acer John Taylor Wellington House Market Street Douglas Isle of Man
JULY 1989
DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENT PLANNING APPLICATION for WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITIES and Reinstatement of the Site at Middle Farm, Braddon
DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENT PLANNING APPLICATION for WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITIES and Reinstatement of the Site at Middle Farm, Braddon
CONTENTS
| Page No | |
|---|---|
| 1. INTRODUCTION | 1 |
| 2. PROPOSALS | 1 |
| 3. FUNCTIONS AND OPERATIONS | 3 |
| 3.1 The Incinerator | 3 |
| 3.2 Sewage Sludge Treatment | 5 |
| 3.3 Civic Amenity | 6 |
| 3.4 Special Waste | 7 |
| 3.5 Recycling Unit | 7 |
| 4. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW | 7 |
| 4.1 The Site | 7 |
| 4.2 Planning context | 8 |
| 4.3 Preliminary Identification of Impacts Associated with the Proposed Development | 8 |
| 4.4 Amelioration and Avoidance of Impacts | 11 |
| 4.5 Detailed Environmental Studies | 18 |
| 5. LANDSCAPE PROPOSALS | 19 |
| APPENDIX A : Key terms used in the report | |
| APPENDIX B : Noise | |
| APPENDIX C : Air Emissions | |
| APPENDIX D : Drawings | |
| APPENDIX E : Ecological Review | |
| APPENDIX F : Council Directive (39/369/EEC) |
For many years the Isle of Man Government has investigated the various methods available, to dispose of domestic wastes generated on the Island.
In 1988 the Department of Local Government and Environment was asked to investigate disposal of domestic waste by incineration and a report of the findings was published.
The Isle of Man Incinerator Project A Report by the Mechanical Engineer for the Incinerator Working Group Department of Local Government and the Environment 14th November 1988.
The report concluded that incineration was a practical and efficient method of waste disposal and identified a shortlist of potential sites on the Island. Further studies concluded that the site at Middle Farm, was the most suitable location for the plant.
The following sections are a summary of reports and studies carried out since publication of the initial factual report which are intended to satisfy the requirements of the Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Development Plan) Order 1982 and allow planning approval for the development of a refuse incinerator at the Middle Farm Site to be granted.
At all stages of the Project the following organisations have been kept informed of progress and invited to comment, through their representation in the various working groups.
Department of Highways, Ports and Properties Department of Health and Social Security Douglas Corporation Onchan District Commissioners Braddan Parish Commissioners Municipal Association Manx Conservation Council Society for the Preservation of the Manx Countryside
It is proposed to develop a refuse incineration plant to serve the whole of the Isle of Man on derelict land owned by the Department of the Local Government and Environment at Middle Farm, Braddan.
The site was formerly used for the reception and pulverisation of municipal refuse in a purpose built pulverisation plant situated at the Northern end of the site. Pulverised refuse product from the plant was tipped on the remaining areas of the site. The plant and site are now disused.
The incineration plant will be located at the Southern end of the Middle Farm site and will be approached by a new access road running from the A6 Kewaigue Road at the North end.
In addition, it is proposed to locate a number of ancillary and complementary waste related facilities on the Middle Farm site. These are:-
(i) Civic Amenity Centre
A Civic Amenity Centre for the reception of household waste not suitable for collection by the public authorities and delivered by members of the public will be provided. Wastes likely to be delivered include garden refuse, small quantities of building wastes, old furniture and household fittings. Reception facilities for waste oils, glass bottles, paper, etc suitable for recycling, will also be included within the centre.
(ii) Recycling Unit and Workshops
It is proposed to convert the existing derelict pulveriser building into a facility for the storage and classification of recycled materials originating from the Civic Amenity Centre and from other recycling sites throughout the Island. A part of the building will be converted for use as a workshop for the Department of Local Government and the Environment. The workshop will be used by Departmental staff as a facility for Island wide maintenance and repair services connected with the Department's responsibilities.
(iii) Special Wastes Facility
A recent survey has confirmed that only limited quantities of special wastes are produced on the Isle of Man from normal commercial and industrial activities. These wastes require care in handling, storage and disposal and it is not appropriate for them to be handled within the normal refuse disposal system. These wastes include acids, alkalis, cleaning fluids, solvents, etc for which no proper facilities presently exist on the Island. Most of these wastes require only testing to ensure proper identification and simple treatment by neutralisation, oxidation and reduction to render them environmentally acceptable for disposal by the normal refuse disposal pathways. All quantities are small and the facilities proposed are laboratory scale. However the facility is extremely important to the Island's continuing development and environmental improvement. Without such a facility waste is currently being stored in cans and drums by the Government Analyst or has to be exported to the United Kingdom. This is a costly and unnecessary exercise for the major part of the special waste arising on the Island. There is no intention of including within this unit
sophisticated processes for the treatment or destruction of synthetic organic chemicals which require highly specialised plant not appropriate for the Island or this site.
(iv) Sewage Sludge Treatment Facility
Government intends to adopt a centralised strategy for dewatering and disposal of sewage sludge. It is proposed to incinerate part of the Island's sewage sludge with the municipal refuse. It is appropriate therefore to locate a dewatering facility adjacent to the incineration plant to treat sludge delivered by tanker from a number of works situated around the island.
All development on site save for the recycling unit, which will occupy the refurbished pulveriser unit, will involve construction of new buildings, roadways and other siteworks including foul and surface water drainage.
Important Note
The site has traditionally been used as a landfill for pulverised and unpulverised domestic waste. There is no current provision for methane gas venting or leachate removal. The site is not capped with an impermeable layer and most methane now produced vents to the atmosphere. The absence of capping and suitable grading results in excessive production of leachate which is causing chronic pollution of the Middle River.
As part of the development the site will be capped. A leachate drain and a system to allow the safe venting of methane gas will be provided ensuring safety of the site for the future.
3.1 The Incinerator
The incinerator envisaged for the Isle of Man will be of the direct, mass burn type in which no presorting or treatment of the refuse is required. Whilst no prior separation is necessary, the system does not preclude bottle banks, can collections and other recycling efforts.
The incinerator will cater for all municipal refuse, and combustible waste, from every district and will constitute the principal means of treatment apart from crude landfilling which will remain for disposal of inert non combustible wastes such as building debris. The total installation will be sufficient to deal with the waste at the peak rate of production, with some spare capacity, but will also allow sustained operation at times of low production.
The plant will be furnished with the necessary equipment for power generation and transmission to the electricity grid, and for the transfer of waste heat to a district heating network. All equipment will be contained within the envelope of a building and cables laid underground to connect to the MEA supply lines. There will be adequate workshop facilities, tools and equipment, and sufficient spare parts, to effect all but the most major repair work. Staff accommodation will be complete with offices, mess room, locker and shower room.
A high standard of design and finish will ensure that the plant can be easily maintained in a clean and tidy condition. The site will be suitably landscaped and maintained to a good standard. Such plants have been visited and found to be perceived as good neighbours. Often, high quality housing is found to have been built close to working incinerators.
Two streams are proposed which apart from offering operational flexibility, afford a measure of security since most or all items of plant are duplicated. In the event of mechanical failure, therefore, at least half of the plant capacity will still be available.
Discharge of all waste delivered to the Incinereator will be within an enclosed discharge hall containing a refuse bunker capable of accepting up to five days refuse. Refuse will be loaded into the furnace from the bunker by overhead grab crane.
The large volumes of combustion air required by the furnaces are drawn from the refuse discharge hall, reducing the pressure within the hall to below atmospheric pressure. This condition ensures that air ingresses from the outside. Dust and small litter which might be present in the hall will therefore be drawn into the furnaces and will not escape to the outside.
Vehicle marshalling and waiting areas will be a feature of the incinerator site ensuring that any queuing takes place within the site and not on public highways.
Clinical waste will be dealt with separately. This type of waste will be largely generated at hospitals where it will be placed in sealed transit containers and delivered to the incinerator in suitable vans. The waste will be immediately charged into the furnace via a purpose-designed loading facility, complete with its combustible container.
Design features of the furnace include an internal pressure of less than atmospheric so that there is no escape of dust or fumes even when inspection doors are opened. The furnace temperature is carefully controlled and maintained above 850°C to ensure the destruction of potentially harmful compounds, and below 1150°C to avoid "clinking" of the ash.
Continuous monitoring of the gases will ensure that sufficient oxygen is admitted and that good combustion is achieved.
From the furnace the gases are led through a boiler which could produce either hot water or steam for power generation. After the boiler the gases are cleaned. Gas cleaning features may include "scrubbing" to remove acidity, and filtration, to remove the solid particulate matter. The resulting flue gases admitted to the atmosphere are invisible, although on occasions some water vapour may become visible.
The chimney will be approximately 95 metres high and will present a clearly visible feature of the plant.
The plant will comply with the Council Directive of June 8, 1989 on the prevention of air pollution from new municipal waste incineration plants published in the official Journal of the European Communities No L163/32 of June 14, 1989. Attached as Appendix F.
It is proposed that sewage sludges generated on the Island be disposed of by incineration. Sludges generated at sewage treatment facilities have high water contents (up to 95%) and before they are suitable for incineration the majority of this water must be removed.
It is proposed that a sludge press be provided on the site contained inside a single building.
Transport to the site will be by sludge tanker. At present three tankers operate on the island:
Discharge from the tanker will be by a direct connection to a holding tank within the building.
From the holding tank sludges will be first screened and then pressed.
Screenings will be loaded into sealable plastic sacks. Pressed sludge, resembling dry earth, will discharge into a trailer within the building. It is anticipated that between 1 and 2 cubic metres of dried sludge will be generated each day. There will be regular removal of dried sludge and screenings to the incinerator for disposal.
Liquors generated by the presses will be discharged to the new foul sewer serving the site for forward transfer to the public sewer.
All plant will be housed within the building and maintained with a negative pressure to prevent escape of odour. Deodorisation will be incorporated into the air extract system.
Drainage in the tanker discharge area will be led into the foul sewer to prevent pollution of the watercourse by sewage sludge liquor.
3.3 Civic Amenity
Civic Amenity facilities are proposed at the Middle Farm Site allowing the public to deposit waste free of charge and allow some sorting and recycling to be initiated.
Waste collected can vary from general garden waste, such as grass clippings, through to tree trunks and building waste.
In this proposal, it is assumed that a series of skips, each of between 5 and 8 cubic metres capacity will be used and space for six such skips has been allowed for.
Building and non combustible waste delivered to site will be loaded into separate skips for removal to the landfill site elsewhere. The skip area will be covered to provide some protection to the public from the elements and also in order to keep the wastes deposited in a dry condition.
The main demand on the civic amenity will be at the weekend (45% of visits) when refuse collection vehicles will not be using the incinerator. This will reduce vehicle conflicts to a minimum. It is difficult to predict the popularity of the Civic Amenity but the facility has been designed to keep public and bulk vehicles completely separate.
Facilities will be provided to allow the recycling of paper, cardboard, glass bottles, batteries and collection of waste oil. Other facilities such as tin and aluminium can recycling may be introduced at a later date. Hardstanding areas for both public and bulk vehicles will be provided with suitable surface water drainage and safety lighting. The area will be extensively landscaped.
3.4 Special Wastes Facility
It is proposed that a facility be provided at the Middle Farm site for the reception of wastes which need special treatment prior to incineration or landfilling. Such wastes would include liquid or solid chemical wastes requiring neutralisation prior to final disposal. For example with the increasing demand for recycling, collection of lead/acid (car) batteries could present a disposal problem, if a waste treatment facility for acid residue was not provided.
The Special Wastes Facility will be housed in a single building close to the Sewage Sludge Treatment Facility. The building would comprise an enclosed reception/storage area with attached laboratory.
3.5 Recycling Unit and Workshops
It is proposed that the existing former pulveriser building be refurbished to provide a storage and sorting area for large items of recyclable goods such as ferrous metals and non ferrous and miscellaneous items.
4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
An initial environmental review of the Middle Farm site was carried out in November 1988. This review identified areas which would require further investigation. Between January 1989 and April 1989 the following assessments were carried out.
(i) Topographic survey of the site (ii) Geotechnical survey of the site (iii) Noise survey (iv) Plume Dispersion Modelling (v) Gas Investigations
In addition further ecological studies have recently been completed:-
(vi) Investigation of flora and fauna of the site and adjacent Middle River. (vii) river quality analysis of Middle River.
A Summary of the environmental review follows:
4.1 The Site
The site for the incinerator is the old refuse pulverisation plant landfill site at Middle Farm. The plant and site are now disused. The site is narrow, extending southwards away from the A6 Kewaigue Road close to its junction with the main A5 Castletown Road. The site is effectively screened from the Castletown Road by trees at its northern end. On its southern, western and eastern boundaries the site is surrounded by agricultural, mainly grazing land.
There is a farm and industrial complex approximately 50 metres west of the site and there is a major commercial glasshouse facility, on the north side of the Castletown Road, some 200 metres from the site. Other residential properties border the Castletown Road on either side of the nursery. Several other residential properties are located approximately 200 metres to the south of the site.
The incinerator special waste unit and sewage sludge treatment facility will be located on the larger southern part of the site. The Civic Amenity, and Recyling Unit will be located at the north end of the site close to the entrance. Most of this area has been used for tipping of product and rejects from the old pulveriser plant and extensive works are required to reclaim the site to productive use from its current state of dereliction.
The local environment is rural with low levels of background noise. Traffic on the main Castletown Road is clearly audible from all parts of the northern end of the site. A small stream runs southwards along the western side of the site and there is some evidence of springs near the eastern edge.
Most of the surrounding area is agricultural, but there is an area of glasshouses, residential development and the Isle of Man Farmers complex along the Castletown Road. Areas of sporadic residential development also occurs along the Old Castletown Road. Areas of sporadic residential development also occurs along the Old Castletown Road.
The site is designated on the 1982 development plan as an area for the surface disposal of waste, and was so used for many years. The draft Bradden Local Plan designates the site for waste disposal. This local plan addresses the Department's policy for land use in the vicinity.
A ground investigation has been carried out on the site, but the foundation requirements have yet to be determined. Extensive rock drilling or blasting is not anticipated. It is expected that conventional plant associated with excavation, concrete placing, steelwork erection and general building works will be employed. Bulk excavation will be required for the reception bunker, but it is likely that surplus material will be utilised on site and no bulk haulage away from the site is expected. It is also anticipated that the pulverised refuse will be removed from areas beneath the proposed structure and re-distributed around the site.
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