Council chiefs criticised over calls for Eling clean-up (From Daily Echo)
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Council chiefs criticised over calls for Eling clean-up
7:00am Friday 23rd July 2010 in
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- By Chris Yandell » Chief Reporter, New Forest
COUNCIL chiefs have been accused of being too lenient with a company that owns a large area of polluted land.
Burt Boulton Holdings (BBH) has been given until October to remove arsenic, cyanide and other poisons from Eling Wharf, an industrial site since the 19th century.
The company is staging a similar clean-up operation on a neighbouring beach that is also polluted and has been sealed off since 2006.
If it fails to make satisfactory progress both sites are likely to be officially classified as contaminated land, which could jeopardise plans by BBH to redevelop the wharf.
But the three-month reprieve has angered members of the Liberal Democrat opposition group on New Forest District Council. They claim that the company has already been given more than enough time to deal with the issue.
Councilllor David Harrison said: “We’re talking about an amazing cocktail of chemicals, including arsenic and cyanide.
“The council’s approach represents a softly-softly approach and I think most members would probably agree with me that we should be adopting a harder attitude.”
Members of the ruling Tory group said the authority’s decision had been based on expert advice from a leading QC.
Councillor Di Brooks, Cabinet member for leisure, said: “We’ll give the company until October, which will allow them a chance to do what they say they’ll do. If they don’t do the job properly we will look at it again.”
The decision not to immediately designate the wharf and beach as contaminated sites was taken by the council’s ruling Cabinet meeting earlier this month.
Members heard that pollution levels at the wharf were too low to jeopardise the health of workers. However, they were warned that children were likely to be affected if they came into contact with the toxins on the foreshore.
BBH chairman James Roberts told the Cabinet that the company was taking the pollution problem “extremely seriously”.
He added: “I hope this will give you confidence that the clean-up programme will remain on track. If it doesn’t, I know what to expect.”
As reported in the Daily Echo, BBH has agreed to carry out the work following lengthy negotiations with the council and other organisations.
Comments(13)
southy
says...
12:43pm Fri 23 Jul 10
wilson castaway wrote:burt bolton never used arsenic or cyanide on there land, but fisons (weed killers and fertilisers) did, who use to rent a shed of burt boltons, whitch caught on fire about 30 to 40 years ago.
wow you can have arsenic and cyanide on your land but fail to pay your council tax in time and your in court.
Andy Locks Heath
says...
1:59pm Fri 23 Jul 10
Ben Doone
says...
2:08pm Fri 23 Jul 10
Good to see you are still about.
The answer is yes so I guess there must have been quite a cocktail of chemicals in that process
Andy Locks Heath
says...
2:54pm Fri 23 Jul 10
southy
says...
3:06pm Fri 23 Jul 10
EM27,
says...
4:44pm Fri 23 Jul 10
Ben Doone
says...
6:07pm Fri 23 Jul 10
EM27, wrote:I not an expert on the matter but can't see the port wanting this land. Far too shallow for big vessels to berth alongside.
Their not being too soft, what's the point of hitting them hard when it will all be getting built over in the next few years for the new docks.
Might be of interest for port related companies such as container storers but they use the site already I believe
EM27,
says...
6:46pm Fri 23 Jul 10
Whatever they do with it it'll be an improvement, the whole of Totton and the Waterside is a hovel anyway. They could turn it into an open air toilet and it would be better than what's there, and smell nicer too.
southy
says...
8:49pm Fri 23 Jul 10
geoff51
says...
9:54pm Fri 23 Jul 10
EM27, wrote:If Totton and Waterside is a Hovel and smells like a toilet its because you ****ers in Southampton have been **** on us for years and using us for a dumping ground for things you don't want.
I expect Southy would know a way this could be used by container ships, maybe they could load the ships onto special trains? Whatever they do with it it'll be an improvement, the whole of Totton and the Waterside is a hovel anyway. They could turn it into an open air toilet and it would be better than what's there, and smell nicer too.
After 45 years living in Southampton I finally escaped to Totton, where the air is fresher and the birds sing rather than cough, and i haven't regretted a minute of my move
EM27,
says...
7:37pm Sat 24 Jul 10
geoff51 wrote:You were one of things dumped that we sidn't want Geoff, no comincidence the stench followed you aye?
EM27, wrote: I expect Southy would know a way this could be used by container ships, maybe they could load the ships onto special trains? Whatever they do with it it'll be an improvement, the whole of Totton and the Waterside is a hovel anyway. They could turn it into an open air toilet and it would be better than what's there, and smell nicer too.If Totton and Waterside is a Hovel and smells like a toilet its because you ****ers in Southampton have been **** on us for years and using us for a dumping ground for things you don't want. After 45 years living in Southampton I finally escaped to Totton, where the air is fresher and the birds sing rather than cough, and i haven't regretted a minute of my move
geoff51
says...
5:08pm Mon 26 Jul 10
EM27, wrote:Depends on which way the wind is blowing we can just about smell the chavs in Southampton, but no where is perfect if you live there!
geoff51 wrote:You were one of things dumped that we sidn't want Geoff, no comincidence the stench followed you aye?EM27, wrote: I expect Southy would know a way this could be used by container ships, maybe they could load the ships onto special trains? Whatever they do with it it'll be an improvement, the whole of Totton and the Waterside is a hovel anyway. They could turn it into an open air toilet and it would be better than what's there, and smell nicer too.If Totton and Waterside is a Hovel and smells like a toilet its because you ****ers in Southampton have been **** on us for years and using us for a dumping ground for things you don't want. After 45 years living in Southampton I finally escaped to Totton, where the air is fresher and the birds sing rather than cough, and i haven't regretted a minute of my move
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The foreshore at Eling closed to the public by New Forest Dictrict Council
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wilson castaway says...
12:01pm Fri 23 Jul 10