Mann: Landfill Leachate Disposal Query

This news published by the Celtic League:

Mann: Landfill Leachate Disposal Query

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

As a spin-off from the contaminated Harbour Silt row which has exercised people (and groups) on the Isle of Man recently the Celtic League has asked the Manx Chief Minister for details about discharges into the Marine environment.

The discharges involve leachate from a disused landfill site near Peel on the Islands west coast which are drawn off by tanker at the landfill and then disposed into the sea outfall off Peel.

Strict monitoring was in place many years ago and the League are asking is this still the case.

The League also say that given that even most opponents of the temporary harbour silt landfill arrangement also opposed sea dumping how long the leachate disposal to the open sea will continue.

“The Chief Minister
Allan Bell MHK
Chief Minister Office
Government Buildings
Douglas
Isle of Man

1st May 2015

Dear Chief Minister,

My apologies for burdening you with yet another query which ordinarily I would have sent to the appropriate Department or Agency however in this instance I am unsure if DEFA, DOI or the MUA are the appropriate reference point.

As a consequence of the controversy surrounding the removal of contaminated silt from Peel Harbour photographs were posted on a social media site of leachate collected by MUA tankers from Raggatt tip site being disposed of into a sewer (or storm drain) in Peel (Mill Road area I believe).

Obviously one of the issues advanced in relation to the Peel (Harbour Silt) operation was that the sea beds off Peel could not be contaminated with pollutants. I think everyone including those opposed to the (temporary) Poortown Dump site accepted this was a sound environmental policy and that the sea fisheries area off the west coast should be protected because of its commercial value to the local industry.

Can I ask what monitoring if any is undertaken of the leachate from the Raggatt landfill to determine how benign (or otherwise) the pollutants it may contain are i.e. how often are samples from the waste liquid removed analysed?

In addition is it the long term policy to continue sea discharge of this material in this way?

Yours sincerely,

J B Moffatt (Mr)
pp Celtic League”

Link here to Local Authority Minutes from six years ago. (Minute 09/050 informs.)

J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information
Celtic League

01/05/15

(Please note that replies to correspondence received by the League and posted on CL News are usually scanned hard copies. Obviously every effort is made to ensure the scanning process is accurate but sometimes errors do occur.)

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