The contract, which is for five years with a potential extension of up to a further four years, will cover four local authorities: Bristol city council (as lead authority), Bath & North East Somerset council, North Somerset council and South Gloucestershire council. Five bids were invited for the work, but only three received.

The aim of the contract is to ensure that there is sufficient treatment capacity to divert waste from landfill to meet the Authorities’ annual LATS allowances over the period 2011/12 to 2015/16. The award forms phase two of a four phase joint waste management strategy approved by the Partnership in June.

Phase one of the Partnership’s work was source segregation contracts for organic wastes. There is still the possibility that the authorities might opt for incineration as a third stage although there is some uncertainty about this. In the recent local authority elections, the Liberal Democrats won Bristol and they campaigned on the back of not having an incinerator in the region.
MBT solution

Now, New Earth Solutions will be bringing a mechanical biological treatment solution to the West of England with construction of a plant in the Avonmouth area. The plant is to be 200,000 tonnes in size and will be New Earth’s largest development to date. This allows for 80,000 tonnes of merchant capacity.

Of the 120,000 tonnes fed in to the plant, more than 50% will be reduced through losses in mass. Non-ferrous, ferrous and high grade plastics will be recovered, totalling about 15% of the input and about 15% will be used as a compost like output for land. The balance will be used for a biomass refuse derived fuel which could be used in complementary plant near the MBT facility.

Value of the contract has not yet been disclosed but is thought to be about £50 million and the plant is due to be operational in April 2011.

Councillor Carl Francis-Pester, chair of the Partnership’s joint waste management committee, said: “New Earth Solutions will provide the councils with a cleaner, cheaper and more sustainable way to dispose of residual household waste.”

Chris Cox, managing director of New Earth Solutions, told letsrecycle.com: “We are delighted to have been chosen by the West of England Partnership.”
Related links

* New Earth Solutions
* West of England Partnership

Cost of the contract is based on the principle that any contract procured by the Partnership will be operated on a partnership basis with costs shared and allocated on an equitable basis. According to the Partnership, the New Earth Solutions project requires each authority to identify and then commit, on an annual basis, the delivery of a specified volume of waste to the treatment facility.

The Partnership said: “Each authority will have a minimum tonnage assigned to it for each of the initial five years of the contract, in order that the partnership can fulfil its overall minimum tonnage obligations to the contractor. Each authority will commit to pay its share of the contract costs, the pooled haulage costs and the project management and administrative costs in respect of its guaranteed minimum tonnage for the duration of the initial five years of the contract, irrespective of whether it delivers the agreed tonnage or a lower tonnage.

More at LetsRecycle..

Sponsored by the Teton Conservation District and BioCycle magazine, this three-day conference:

ORGANIC WASTE DIVERSION IN THE ROCKIES
will focus on

Economics, Operations and Marketing

The Conference is being held at the
Snow King Resort in Jackson, Wyoming
July 19-22, 2009

Here is your opportunity to network and learn from the experienced, knowledgeable faculty of speakers who will discuss how to successfully implement diversion programs when markets are distant; integrating new programs with existing infrastructure; and developing markets for woody biomass.

Speakers like:
Randy Williams, Teton Conservation District; Mark Barron, Mayor,Town of Jackson, Wyoming;
Kathy O’Hern, Gallatin County (Montana)/West Yellowstone Composting Facility; Chuck Wilson and Bob Yost, A1 Organics; Phil Hayes, Pinetop/Lake (Arizona) Sanitary District; Nora Goldstein, BioCycle; Jerry Wright, Rapid City, South Dakota Public Works Department; Kate Blevins, Verde Earth Works; Roy Petermean, Brigham Young University; Jonathan Schechter, One Percent for the Tetons; Dane Buk, Terra Firma Organics; Steve Michael, Jackson Whole Grocer; Laura Cuddy, Four Seasons Resort; Bruce Fullford, City Soil and Greenhouse;
Dave Atkins, Fuels for Schools, US Forest Service Northern and Intermountain Regions;
Al Christophersen, Director of Habitat Stewardship Services, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation … and many more.

Where else can you talk face to face with experts like these to help you find ways to turn organic materials into valuable resources?

Conference sessions will be held on Monday and Tuesday, July 20 and 21 at the Snow King Resort. Monday’s program opens at 8:30 am with sessions on MSW and biosolids composting and collection, processing and marketing of recyclable materials. On Monday Afternoon , from 1 – 5:00 pm, participants will tour Jackson Community Recycling Center and the Teton Country Transfer Station and Compost Facility, returning to the hotel for a Reception in the Exhibit area.

On Tuesday, July 21, sessions will cover composting, woody biomass, food waste composting, anaerobic digestion of animal waste, food waste recycling in resorts and parks, and much more.

An optional tour of Yellowstone National Park recycling and composting facilities will be held on Wednesday, July 22, from 7:30 am – 5:30 pm.

And on Sunday, July 19, there is an optional Workshop, “Foundations of Composting Training,” from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm. Instructors Robert Rynk of State University of New York Cobleskill, and Matt Cotton of Integrated Waste Management Consulting, will provide a foundation for novice compost operators, managers and regulators, and will refresh veteran composters on the underlying scientific principles, helping prepare for expanded job responsibilities, managerial duties and certification requirements.

REGISTER BY JUNE 5 TO GET EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT HERE.

Just when will our society realise that when everyone produces such large quantities of waste, the waste HAS to be processed and disposed of somehow, and somewhere, and that it is unreasonable to expect to send it out of the area in which the waste was created!

In our first case the Surrey County Council Energy from Waste (EfW) facility, which only received planning permission in October 2008, now looks set to face further delays after a successful challenge against its development by the local parish council. Surrey Waste Management’s proposal for the facility at the Clockhouse Brickworks site in Capel, Surrey, has suffered a myriad of set-backs and challenges since the original planning permission, granted as far back as 2002, was overturned.

An official judgment is expected to have been made by the end of February (after this issue has gone to press). The 100000 tonnes capacity facility was intended to be operational in 2012 as part of a PFI-funded deal between Sita subsidiary, Surrey Waste Management, and the county council.

Our second problem waste processing facility in Cornwall has been rejected and new plans must be drawn up, so the problem is really serious for the citizens of Cornwall. The following is an extract from the BBC News item highlighting the problem:

New county waste plans ‘needed’

An alternative strategy for dealing with Cornwall’s waste needs to be drawn up as soon as possible, a council scrutiny committee has ruled.

The call to Cornwall Council comes after plans by waste company Sita for an incinerator at St Dennis were refused two weeks ago.

Sita then withdrew proposals for a waste centre at Scorrier last week.

The council will decide whether to follow the recommendation for a waste plan after elections later in the year.

Cornwall Council’s Environment Policy and Development Scrutiny Committee recommended that a dedicated panel be set up to look at alternatives.

The committee’s chairman, independent councillor Mark Kaczmarek, said: “It is essential that Cornwall has a clear way forward to deal with its waste.

“Our remaining landfill is running out. Far too much time and money has been wasted over the last few years and no solution to Cornwall’s waste disposal has been created. Cornwall Council must make this issue a priority.”

The full council will decide whether to follow the recommendation for a waste plan after it holds its elections in June.

County councillors voted 20-to-one on 26 March against Sita’s bid to build a waste-to-energy incinerator in the county. Planning officials had advised the council to grant the application.

The £117m waste-to-energy plant would have handled all of Cornwall’s waste – an estimated 240,000 tonnes of waste a year which would, in turn, have generated power for thousands of homes across the county. More here.

The government says the Planning Act 2008 will enable decisions on major infrastructure projects in areas such as energy, aviation, road and rail transport, water and waste to be taken much more speedily than under the current system.

Under the Act ministers will set out National Policy Statements detailing national infrastructure priorities and the decisions as to whether to allow individual projects to go ahead will then be taken independently by a new Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC).

The government will set out a timetable to set-up the IPC and consult on the detailed regulations and NPSs to implement the new system in the New Year.

Communities secretary Hazel Blears said: “Now that the Planning Bill has been given Royal Assent we can begin to create the faster, fairer planning system we need to reduce our fossil fuel addiction and build up a new generation of renewable energy infrastructure sources like wind power. Many low carbon power sources will now get faster approval, and the country could save £300m a year.”

Planning Bill minister John Healey added: “The new Planning Act 2008 will bring about real culture change for deciding the future needs of our national infrastructure. Importantly it will also give the public three chances to get their views on proposals across instead of one.”

But countryside campaigners the CPRE expressed doubts about how well the Bill will work in practice. Paul Miner, CPRE’s senior planning campaigner commented: “We have monitored the Bill closely throughout its passage through Parliament. Some of it is sensible. But we doubt that its centrepiece – an expensive, unelected, unaccountable commission taking big planning decisions – will work in practice.

“There is a grave danger that this new commission will be seen merely as a promoter and a rubber stamp for highly damaging infrastructure projects imposed without proper debate. It will be interesting to see who steps forward to be a commissioner on this new body, given the challenges it faces.”

The government launched the recruitment process for the position of IPC chairman in October. Shortlisting will take place early next year with interviews in spring and appointment in early summer.

…along with new environment and transport bills

Susanna Gillman, PlanningResource, 27 November 2008

A raft of other legislation that will impact on planning was passed last night along with the Planning Bill.

The Climate Change, Energy and Local Transport bills have also gained Royal Assent.

The climate legislation makes the UK the first country in the world to adopt legally-binding carbon emission targets.

Under the Climate Change Act, the government will have to adhere to five year carbon budgets and will be required to provide annual reports on its progress towards meeting the budgets.

Energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband said: “The UK is the first country in the world to introduce a legally-binding framework to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

“Setting the 80 per cent target was the easy part: now the work really begins. Government, communities, businesses and individuals need to work together to bring about change.

“The Energy and Planning Acts will be instrumental in reducing carbon emissions, removing barriers to enable industry to invest in important new infrastructure, and giving individuals and communities the incentive to use energy more efficiently and generate their own heat and energy.”

Meanwhile the Local Transport Act 2008 will help bring all modes of transport together, by strengthening the role of the Passenger Transport Authorities – to be renamed Integrated Transport Authorities (ITAs) – and by enabling new ones to be established.

These will help major urban areas outside London to improve coordination of the road network and public transport.

The existing six Passenger Transport Authorities will be renamed ITAs from early in the new year. They will take on full responsibility for local transport planning across their areas.

The Act also creates the opportunity for local areas to review their existing arrangements, and to propose reforms including enhanced powers and boundary changes.

More at UK Government.

* Mark Milner, industrial editor
* guardian.co.uk, Tuesday November 11 2008 00.01 GMT
* The Guardian, Tuesday November 11 2008

Paper being recycled

Britain’s paper recycling strategy is under increasing strain after a collapse in waste prices in recent weeks, according to a leading industry organisation.

Britain lacks the capacity to handle the rising amount of paper being recovered for recycling, and its dependence on exports has left it vulnerable to a rapid price collapse, the Confederation of Paper Industries said yesterday.

Far Eastern buyers had been snapping up about three-quarters of Britain’s exports of paper for recycling, but demand from the region has almost disappeared recently, the CPI said.

“With no obvious signs of Far East buyers returning to the market soon there is a serious possibility that storage of recyclables may end up being a high-risk strategy with huge costs to those requiring storage, including the taxpayers through local authorities,” the CPI said in a statement.

“The worst-case scenario is that some material collected for recycling could go to incineration or landfill,” CPI recovered paper sector manager, Peter Seggie, said.

The UK collects about 8.6m tonnes of paper and board for recycling every year but UK paper makers can only handle 4m tonnes, resulting in dependence on export markets, primarily the Far East and Europe, to take the remainder. More …

It is aimed at both public and private sector waste practitioners and has received strong support to a high level in the Government. It delivers a strong message about UK policy, promoting sustainable design, resource efficiency and reducing climate change.

The guidance covers a wide variety of waste facilities, from small community and municipal sites such as compost units on estates, to larger sites such as Combined Heat and Power facilities. The aim of the guidelines is to outline key design principles, the design process, best practice in design and how best for waste professionals to consult the public.

Although the final decision for waste facilities will ultimately lie with the local authority this guidance should assist with providing the tools for both the public and private sector waste management professionals to make the best decision at every stage in the design process.

For further information about the guidance or to obtain a free copy of the guide visit Defra’s website.

The Landfill Tax exemption which applies to waste material arising from the reclamation from contaminated land is to be phased out by 2012, a House of Commons committee agreed on Monday (October 27).

The move, which is expected to generate an additional £40 million in revenues for the Treasury, is intended to encourage construction companies to carry out on-site soil cleaning.

Despite the perceived gains, some committee members voiced concern that the draft document lacked comprehensive figures on the actual costs entailed in phasing out the exemption, and questions were raised about how realistic the projected £40 million recoup was.

In particular, John Redwood, Conservative MP for Wokingham, asked if the move was “felicitous” as the country was going into a recession, adding “Will the extra cost not be damaging to businesses?”

However, Angela Eagle, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said that the government also planned to extend land remediation relief, a corporation tax relief, to cover expenditure on derelict land and achieve “fiscal neutrality.”

She said: “We believe the time is right to phase out this exemption. The order will achieve the phase-out in a way that ensures that the exemption comes to an end within a defined period. At the same time, those who have worked up projects for land in expectation of being able to benefit from the exemption will have a reasonable opportunity to do so.”
Exemption

Currently enshrined within the Finance Act 1996, the planned phase out would mean companies hoping to still receive exemption under the previous Act would need to apply for certification by November 30, while those reaching Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs by December 1 would still be considered even if they did not possess all applicable information.

However, the tax exemption will now be phased out by 2012 and land remediation relief will be extended on April 1 2009 as part of the Budget process.

Ms Eagle explained that the methods of treating contaminated soils on site had already improved to date, especially since the Landfill Tax escalator was introduced, and said she did not envision a huge amount of inconvenience caused by transferring focus from Landfill Tax exemption to land remediation.

Supporting this idea, Nick Raynsford, Labour MP for Greenwich and Woolwich, said: “At the Olympic site, exemplary results have been achieved in extremely difficult circumstances against a very tight project management timetable to deliver an enormous amount of work by 2012.”

“Most of the people who have looked at that have been surprised by what has been achieved there. If remediation is possible in such circumstances, I suspect that it will be in most, provided that there is the will to do it,” he added.

However, Ms Eagle acknowledged that not all sites would be able to wash soil on site, forcing them to pay Landfill Tax. More at LetsRecycle.

The UK government’s Defra funded New Technology Demonstrator Programme (NTDP) features in many of the events. The NTDP sets out to provide councils and staff from the local authorities with the opportunity of seeing new technologies for waste processing in operation, and for the lucky chosen few operators the opportunity to show off their technological prowess in developing these plants commissioning and operating them.

Information being gathered and publicised about the new technologies in the NTD Programme is playing a vital role in informing the discussions on a national scale.

Some recent conferences have been: