Rachel Fielding - 4-Dec-2007
- The Environment Agency has announced that
work on the first part of their Carlisle flood
alleviation scheme is ahead of schedule and
as a result will offer a better level of protection
to some areas this winter than previously
expected.
The Eden and Petteril flood alleviation scheme,
which covers Warwick Road and Botcherby, is
the first part of the Environment Agency’s
£36 million scheme for Carlisle. Work
is ahead of schedule meaning that this winter
the Warwick Road area will be protected from
the same level of river flooding experienced
in January 2005.
Although some finishing work needs to be
done, the scheme is due to be complete by
Spring 2008.
The scheme will improve protection from river
flooding but will not protect against flooding
from surface water or drainage. Further work
is being done by United Utilities and others
to address some of these issues and the Environment
Agency is working closely with United Utilities,
Carlisle City Council, Cumbria County Council
and Natural England to carry out future projects.
Glyn Vaughan, Environment Agency Flood Risk
Manager said:
“Although the scheme will increase protection
against flooding from the Rivers Eden and
Petteril, flooding is a force of nature and
we can’t prevent it completely. It is vital
that people find out what to do in the event
of a flood and how to protect themselves.
We offer a free, direct, flood warning service
to Carlisle which people can sign up to by
calling Floodline. Those registered to the
Floodline Warnings Direct service will be
sent flood warnings to their home phone, mobile,
fax, pager or e-mail giving them time to take
action.”
To find out if you are at risk from flooding
and to sign up for the Floodline Warnings
Direct service please call Floodline on 0845
988 1188.
The second part of the Environment Agency’s
works, the Caldew and Carlisle City Centre
scheme, is currently going through a detailed
design process. Construction is due to start
on site in Spring 2008 and the scheme is planned
to be completed in 2010.
Notes to Editors
The Environment Agency is working to reduce
the impact of flooding to Carlisle.
We have been working on a Flood Alleviation
Scheme since May 2006.
The scheme is split into two phases;
Phase 1: Eden and Petteril works covering
Warwick Road and Botcherby areas. Work began
in May 2006 and will be complete by 2008.
Phase 2: Caldew and City Centre works incorporating
the Willowholme and Denton Holme areas of
Carlisle. Work is due to start on site in
April 2008 and will be complete by 2010.
Preparing in advance of flooding
To find out if you are at risk of flooding
you can either call Floodline on 0845 988
1188 or visit the Environment Agency’s website
(www.environmnet-agency.gov.uk) and check
your postcode against our flood map.
Floodline warnings direct is a free direct
warning service which sends flood warnings
to an individuals home phone, mobile, fax,
pager or e-mail.
To sign up for Floodline Warnings Direct call
Floodline.
You can also view the current flood warnings
in force and get information on what you can
do to protect yourself and your property from
flooding by visiting the Environment Agency’s
website or calling floodline.
+ More
Recycling fine a real ‘pane’ for glass supplier
Jane Nower - 4-Dec-2007 - ABL (Holding) Ltd
– a supplier of glass to the public service
industry - was ordered to pay £16,200.28
at High Wycombe Magistrates Court yesterday
for failing to recover and recycle up to 4,443
tonnes of packaging waste.
ABL (Holding) Ltd, of Sunters End, High Wycombe,
Buckinghamshire supplies and distributes glass,
as well as providing services to install the
glass panes in trains and trams. The company
also provides management consultancy, property
investment and specialist asset investment
services.
On Thursday 28 November the company pleaded
guilty to failing to register with the Environment
Agency as a producer of packaging, and to
failing to meet its requirements to recover
and recycle packaging waste for six years
from 2000 to 2005. The company was fined £7,500,
ordered to pay d £3,364.28 in costs
to the Environment Agency. Magistrates also
ordered compensation of £5,336 to be
paid to the Environment Agency for avoided
registration fees.
Under the Producer Responsibility Obligations
(Packaging Waste) Regulations, all businesses
with an annual turnover in excess of £2
million that handle more than 50 tonnes of
packaging each year, must be registered with
the Environment Agency or a compliance scheme.
Each year, obligated businesses must also
provide evidence of payment for the recovery
and recycling of a specified proportion of
packaging waste, including wood, aluminum,
steel, cardboard and plastic.
The Regulations are designed to ensure companies
assess the amount of packaging they use and,
where possible, limit their consumption. For
the packaging remaining, companies are expected
to invest in the recycling industry. Details
of the Regulations are available in trade
journals, through trade organisations and
online but unfortunately, many businesses
remain unaware of their responsibilities.
The Environment Agency wrote to ABL (Holding)
Ltd requesting details of their packaging
usage in March 2005, but by April 2006, the
company had not only failed to register with
the Environment Agency during the relevant
period, and to purchase the recovery and recycling
notes, but had also failed to supply any information
concerning annual turnover and tonnages of
packaging used. This resulted in the Environment
Agency conducting a statutory audit on the
company premises.
It was found that in terms of packaging,
ABL (Holding) Ltd, handles mainly crates,
foam, and steel banding, as well as thin film
coating the glass, and blue and brown protective
edging film, bubble wrap, foam pieces to protect
the panes. All of these items can end up contributing
to landfill, rather than being recycled.
Environment officer Sue Gebbels said: “The
money raised from compliance with this legislation
goes directly to the recycling industry and
the failure by this company to ensure they
met their responsibilities means that there
was less investment in the recycling industry
than there should have been. ”There is information
available to businesses to ensure they meet
they environmental responsibility. It is important
companies take this responsibility seriously
to stop the tonnes of packaging piling up
in the UK’s shrinking landfill sites.”
Ends
Notes for editors
ABL (Holding) Ltd failed to recover and recycle:
848 tonnes in 2001, 835 tonnes in 2002, 876
tonnes in 2003, 921 tonnes in 2004 and 963
tonnes in 2005. From the figures provided
and the audit of the company it has been calculated
that the company has saved an estimated £5,619.53
in not purchasing PRN’s (evidence of recovery/recycling)
and registration fees of £5,336. The
Producer Responsibility (Packaging Waste)
Regulations were originally implemented in
1997 as a result of the EU Packaging Directive.
The regulations are designed to make companies
assess the amount of packaging they use and,
where possible, limit the amount used. For
the packaging remaining, companies have a
responsibility to invest in the recycling
industry. The amount of recovery and recycling
is dependent on the type of activity the company
performs on the packaging and the tonnage
handled. As the majority of companies are
unable to take back their packaging, a system
was set up whereby they purchase Packaging
Recovery Notes (PRNs) or Packaging Export
Recovery Notes (PERNs) to the value of their
obligation. The money from these PRNs/PERNs
is used by the reprocessors of the packaging
to improve the efficiency of their process,
to expand their facilities, and assist with
the funding of domestic recycling schemes,
etc
