BANES Planning Committee. Thank you for making the right decision and quashing this application. 28-09-11

Stowey Quarry has been granted planning permission by BANES to dispose of Asbestos waste in our community. Why were we not openly consulted and informed?

ASBESTOS KILLS
Official Website - Stop Stowey Quarry Asbestos Landfill

Please

Write to David Trigwell (Divisional Director of Planning and Transport Development) at BANES to let him know how much BANES have let us down.

Write to our MP Jacob Rees-Mogg to let him know we urgentlty need his support in this matter.

Write to the Environment Agency to ask them to support the local community and object to the proposed plan.

Background

Planning permission has been granted by BANES to allow an initial 645,000 tonnes of "non-hazardous waste" (Asbestos) over the next ten years to be dumped into the until recently disused Stowey Quarry. This decision directly affects the people living in the Parish of Stowey and villages of Bishop Sutton, Chew Stoke, Chew Magna, Hinton Blewett, Clutton and Temple Cloud. If it gets into the water supply it could affect anybody that consumes water from the Chew Valley Reservoir.

Stowey Quarry covers an area of approximately 20 acres and sits at an elevation of approximately 520 ft, as a result water drains from this area into Chew Valley Lake. Staggeringly, one freshwater spring that feeds Chew Valley Lake (Hollow Brook) starts overground life just 200m from the proposed site, (the underground part of this spring could be directly under the quarry). Chew Valley Lake Resevoir is managed by Bristol Water and supplies water to the homes of Bath, Bristol and surrounding areas.

Furthermore, the elevated and exposed location of the site ensures greater degrees of wind turbulence. Just 0.4 miles away and 295 ft lower sits the nearest villiage of Bishop Sutton and with up to fifty lorry loads of Asbestos per day being dumped it seems inconceivable that no Asbestos dust particls will become airborne. All fore mentioned neighbouring villages are at lower elevations and given that the greatest risk from Asbestos is from airborne particles it once again illustrates this to be an inappropriate dump site for this typw of waste dsiposal.

This is not a suitable loaction for Asbestos disposal.

Facts

If you disturb asbestos, you release fibres into the air therefore making yourself and others exposed to the dangers.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, Asbestos is the greatest single cause of work related deaths in the UK.

When disturbed, friable RACM asbestos crumbles into a dust of microscopic fibers which can remain in the air for long periods of time. If inhaled, they pose a serious health threat as asbestos fibers can become permanently lodged in body tissues.

Symptoms of asbestos related diseases generally do not appear for 20 years or longer after the first exposure. Exposure to asbestos has been shown to cause cancer and asbestosis, which is a chronic disease of the lungs with symptoms similar to emphysema.

There are four main diseases caused by asbestos: Mesothelioma, Asbestos-related lung cancer, Asbestosis, Pleural thickenin. These diseases will not affect someone immediately; they often take a long time to develop, but once diagnosed, it is often too late to do anything.

Questions

Why did BANES not fully and openly inform and consult with our community before a planning permission was granted?

Bristol Water are opposed to this plan on the basis it was inappropriate. BANES, why take this level of risk with our drinking water?

Asbestos poses it's greatest risk when particles become airborne, so why choose a site that is elevated, exposed and at considerably higher elevations than neighboring local villages, the closest being less than half a mile away.

BANES, why grant this planning permission when there is already capacity at Yanley and Avanmouth for many years to come.

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