Where has the “HAZARDOUS WASTE” sign gone? The waste that is hazardous is still there!
I recently did a double take when passing the infamous turquoise gates to find a couple of familiar landmarks conspicuous by their absence. Here below is the spot the difference picture.
And on closer inspection……
These signs on the only entrance to the site, (except the gaps in the steel bars) 😆 have been there for years, but recently of course they were featured in an ENDS report National article, which to remind you can be read HERE.
Not for the first time with the owners of this site, I smell a rather big rat, and nor do I believe in coincidences either. First of all there is a brief history lesson required here, without making it too nerdy.
The history of the hazardous waste licence at this site, to date at least when I last enquired in 2014 was as follows.
The site is now classed by the Environment Agency, regulators of the site as a “closed landfill”, in that it cannot accept any more waste. This was confirmed, in this FOI request along with other matters of a technical nature.
The permit (SL31 as was, mentioned on the orange site ID board) was varied to reflect this and a copy of the notice of variation as well as the original permit and modifications were supplied by the agency in the request.
They stated
“The permit was transferred to “Rhodia Limited” on the 24th January 2014 – copy attached.”
This meant that the new permit had the catchy title EPR/BB3205TF. Yes, SL31 was much easier to remember, so why attempt to bury the historic licence, and the hazardous wastes dumped there by a new form?
Condition 31 was the orange hazardous waste sign, the permit has not been withdrawn, and nor have the conditions, even if some of them are no longer relevant to the waste disposal process, though the waste contained in there certainly is!
Who are “Rhodia Limited” ?
This joke phoenix company was set up to manage the process of mothballed ex Albright and Wilson hell holes, like rattlechain, and the Gower Tip. When Solvay took over from the French Rhodia company in 2011, they must have been horrified at what poison chalices had been acquired in the UK, but there again, maybe not when the same staff were in charge on the ground. 🙄
Originally this non- entity divorced from the Solvay brand consisted of just two directors, namely Mr John “quicksilver” Moorhouse “site redevelopment manager”, (and frontman for the 2013 cover up works), and Mr “small amounts” Tom Dutton, health Safety and environment manager. They had over 50 years with Albright and Wilson between them, and that needs to be made clear!
On recent examination it appears that Mr Moorhouse has finally stepped down as a director at the end of 2020- Well, I suppose he was just marginally younger than when the first load of white phosphorus went into the lagoon. 😛
This now leaves Mr Dutton and Alison Murphy as secretary, with both operating prominent roles in the Solvay company also.
The resignations correspond to the Rhodia company that were there before, it is confusing.
The most recent company report confirms the resignation of Moorhouse.
It also confirms their status as a company, but more interestingly that some remediation works were due to take place in 2020 on some of their closed sites, but were delayed due to “the pandemic”, to this year.
The principal activity of this company is to hide Solvay’s association with the damaged Albright and Wilson and Rhodia toxic shit holes.
But was Rattlechain due to be one of these sites?
I queried with the EA, amongst other things, what had happened to the site ID board, and if they had given permission for messrs Dutton and Murphy to remove the board from the gates. Of course the last time that the site ID board went missing was when Barratt Homes were defrauding people next to this still active waste lagoon by telling them “it was the place where the speedboats were kept”. It took some time for it to reappear, as the EA inspection records and breaches of the licence show.
The EA stated the following.
“I can confirm that we have contacted the company about the identification sign and they have stated that the sign was removed as it was in a state of decay and that they have ordered a permanent replacement sign. In the meantime we have asked the company to arrange for a temporary sign displaying the relevant information to be installed as a matter of urgency.”
In other words, “they day av permission.” to breach the licence, now as then.
What has appeared well disguised I would state, is the following behind the gates and metal railings themselves.
This non- prominent sign appears to be a leaf out of the Government pandemic con book with branding it as amber, and look and blink at you will miss it small print, which actually reads as an advertisement for Solvay. The “trade” of Rhodia Limited is non existent, but it acts as a device for letting Solvay off the hook, or should that be the chain 🙂
The Gower Tip also appears to have had an upgraded sign on the canal façade.
They “accept no responsibility…”
We shall see what develops here…..
Some wastes cannot be so easily erased!