The Department of Infrastructure is seeking Tynwald approval to construct a specialist facility for the temporary storage of hazardous wastes.
Minister Phil Gawne MHK will ask Members to support capital funding of £330,000 at the October sitting of Tynwald.
Subject to approval, the proposed Hazardous Waste Transfer Facility will be built on a site near to the Energy from Waste (EfW) plant at Middle Park in Braddan.
Development of the facility is supported by the Department of Economic Development and will provide a central point for the collection and safe storage of up to 2,000 tonnes of hazardous wastes. The operating costs will be met by the waste producers.
Minister Gawne said:
‘The need for this facility is one of the consequences of having such a diverse and successful economy. The Isle of Man is home to thriving aerospace and precision engineering sectors that produce a certain amount of hazardous wastes. The Hazardous Waste Transfer Facility is a key development that will support future economic growth and also minimise any potential impact on people’s health or the environment.’
As well as waste generated by the manufacturing industry, the facility will also deal with smaller amounts of hazardous waste produced by laboratories and Noble’s Hospital, and unidentified materials washed up on local beaches.
Because of their nature or chemistry, these wastes cannot be safely managed through the EfW plant or landfill sites and are shipped off-Island for specialist treatment and disposal.
In addition to packaging, transport and disposal costs, waste producers have to pay for special permits to ship the waste under EU regulations.
It can take several months to accumulate an economically viable load for export, so the waste has to be stored during the intervening period.
The Isle of Man currently does not have a central transfer facility and most hazardous waste is stored on the site of production. While this is not unsafe, in the longer term it is not considered best practice.
Planning permission is already in place for the Hazardous Waste Transfer Facility, which has been designed in conjunction with the Manufacturing and Technical Industry Waste Sustainability Committee, Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service and the Health and Safety at Work Inspectorate.
Hazardous wastes will be collected by the site operator or delivered to the facility by specialist companies and then held in designated storage bays before being packaged for onwards shipment.
Minister Gawne said:
‘The proposed facility will serve the Isle of Man for at least the next 20 years and is part of the Department’s commitment to providing the infrastructure on which to build economic success. It will ensure that the Isle of Man, and in particular the manufacturing sector, can continue to manage its hazardous wastes economically and in accordance with its regulatory obligations.’
Construction of the central facility is being welcomed by the Department of Economic Development which describes it as ‘an important improvement to the infrastructure that supports the viability and sustainability of the manufacturing sector and its ability to grow and provide economic benefit in the future.’
The Hazardous Waste Transfer Facility will be constructed by an Isle of Man contractor and the operators appointed following a competitive tender process. It is estimated that the facility will be operational by March 2015.
