THE findings of a major, three-month environmental study in and around the former Gatewarth landfill site at Warrington are due to be published next week.
They may well show the land is contaminated with substances which could be harmful to health, according to local environmental campaigner John Mulhull.
He claims to have been told already that, on a scale of white to black, the findings are “a very dark shade of grey.”
The survey has been carried out jointly by the borough council and the Environment Agency.
Contractors drilled boreholes and installed groundwater and gas monitoring wells across the tipped area at Penketh and around the edges of the site to gather information
The aim is to discover what materials were dumped on the site between 1971 and 1988 which have the potential to affect the surrounding environment. The study aims to provide more information about the former tip and assess the risk posed by the buried materials.
Mr Mulhall has claimed that radioactive materials from UKAEA Risley and the Capenhurst uranium enrichment plant near Chester, were dumped on the site.
He said: “I know because years ago I was shown where it was tipped by a man who drove one of the lorries tipping it.”
He also claims large numbers of fish have died in the St Helens Canal on several occasions and that new trees planted in the area also died after a few years.
When the survey was announced in February, Cllr Mike Biggin, the council’s executive member for climate change and public protection said it was welcome news for Warrington.
“Once the study has been completed we hope to be able to use the findings to improve the way the site is managed,” he said.
THE findings of a major, three-month environmental study in and around
the former Gatewarth landfill site at Warrington are due to be published
next week.
What was dumped on landfill site?
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
3 Comments
With the Govt’s plans allowing the disposal of ‘low grade’ radioactive waste into landfill sites there is obviously going to be a vast increase in this type of problem. However I don’t think that it’s the prospect of a contract to clean up the former Gatewarth landfill site which has attracted the FOREMOST US NUCLEAR WASTE DECOMMISSIOINING COMPANY to Warrington. With expectations to be bigger here than in the US and to expand into the European and wider markets they have obviously set their sights on more ludicrous contracts. Is it a coincidence that the major improvements in the road and rail links, the new Runcorn bridge, the NETA Corridor and the South Atlantic Gateway will make Warrington the most strategic point for freight transport from the UK, Europe and beyond? . Andrew Farrel said yesterday… “The criticism has always been that Warrington has business space but nothing else, but that is changing” ……… Though he doesn’t say into what!. David Mowat, MP for Warrington South, claims the proposed new rail link would improve UK transport and create more than 40,000 jobs for workers in the North…………but he doesn’t say what kind of jobs!. Perhaps Cllr Biggins the council’s executive member for climate change and public protection could enlighten us?
What jobs would you like them to be? I guess that for those who are unemployed and seeking work, almost any job is better than no job. Perhaps the real test will be are they new jobs, or simply jobs transferred from elsewhere in the UK. Nice if they were high tech manufacturing jobs.
I don’t think many people would be enthusiastic about working with nuclear waste. I don’t think many people would be enthusiastic about living near to nuclear waste. Pity that when they were deciding who was to get what out of the regional funding pot the leaders of this town chose to push the chemical and nuclear industries whilst West Cheshire chose tourism. Ironic for people who chose to live in Lymm!