TIMBER METAL RECYCLING CONTAMINATED LAND AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES BWEA31 DAVID KIDNEY SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009
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CONTENTS Pages 4 - 24
News Pages
Page 25
Steve Grant Column - Pascal’s Wager by Steve Grant “there are still those who deny that we are changing the climate, or even that the climate is changing at all”
Pages 26 - 27
UK Sustainable Development Association – Getting to the CORE of Renewables by John Strawson “The unambiguous aspiration of the CORE development is to provide a carbon-neutral business”
Pages 28 - 36 Pages 28 - 29 Pages 30 - 33 Page 34 Pages 36 Pages 39 - 40
Wood Focus FSC by Rosie Teasdale “the forests must be managed with due respect for the environment, the wildlife and the people who live and work in them” Sustainable Timber Procurement by Karen Prendergast “there is inevitably ever increasing pressure on natural resources, including timber” Timber Frame Goes Mainstream by UKTFA “the sectors that have remained particularly strong are in affordable housing, education and healthcare” Wood Recycling by Geoff Hadfield “more opportunities for businesses to recycle their waste wood and avoid the more expensive route of landfill”
Metal Recycling – Red Tape Could Strangle the Growth of Metal Recycling by Ian Hetherington “it is a legislative change that looks set to transform the way metal recyclers can operate and has the potential to open up new export markets”
Pages 42 - 54 Pages 42 - 44
Contaminated Land How to Manage Volatile Organic Compounds by Joanne Kwan & Katy Baker “here are several recognised hazards and effects of VOCs”
Pages 46 - 49
Corby Council Ruling by Jennifer Stephens & Claire Brook “potential new risks to developers”
Pages 50 - 51
Groundwater Contamination. Is it Your Liability? by Jamie Robinson “there is a requirement to demonstrate that current activity on sites is not causing damage”
Pages 53 - 54
Raising the Standards in Brownfield Regeneration by Matthew Whitehead “cleaning up contaminated land is not a simple business – it takes time and money”
Pages 56 - 61 Pages 56 - 57
Pages 59 - 61
Invasive Species Aquatic Invasive Species - Problems & Solutions by Dr Jonathan Newman “The UK is considered lucky in terms of the impact that aquatic invasive species (AIS) cause here” Japanese Knotweed by Robert Twining “It is not an offence to have Knotweed on your land and it is not a notifiable weed”
Page 63
Environment Agency Prosecutions
Pages 64 - 65
Education – Education & the Environment by Stephen Scales “we face more and more problems than ever before and these must be addressed”
Pages 66 - 67
Wind – Wind Turbines - Effective, Affordable & Efficient by Pete Allen “There is considerable debate about how efficient these turbines actually are”
Pages 68 - 75
BWEA31
Pages 77 - 79
Emissions – Take Control of Emissions by Isabelle Laurent “reduce the regulatory cost burden for a wide range of industrial operators”
Page 80
Famous Last Words – UK Low Carbon Transition Plan by David Kidney “being wiser about energy use makes financial and therefore good business sense”
EnviroMedia Limited, 254a Bury New Road, Whitefield, Manchester, M45 8QN
Alex Stacey Tel: 0161 3410158 Fax: 0161 7668997 Email: alex@enviromedia.ltd.uk
Environment Industry Magazine is proud to be the official media partner for the UK Sustainable Development Association. Every effort is made to verify all information published, but Environment Industry Magazine cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions or for any losses that may arise as a result. Opinions expressed in articles do not necessarily reflect those of EnviroMedia Ltd. Environment Industry Magazine welcomes contributions for publication. Submissions are accepted on the basis of full assignment of copyright to EnviroMedia Ltd unless otherwise agreed in advance and in writing. We reserve the right to edit items for reasons of space, clarity or legality. ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
INTRODUCTION FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the much anticipated 3rd issue of Environment Industry Magazine. I have received a couple of questions regarding the environmental credentials of Environment Industry Magazine, so to answer all those who wanted to know, you may have noticed the newly attained official FSC logo on the contents page. This confirms that we print on FSC certified paper stock. Also the poly-film used to protect the magazine when mailing is biodegradable. We are in the process of instigating a stringent recycling policy and we are working with EMERGE Recycling in Manchester who collect all of our recyclable office waste. Environment Industry Magazine is recyclable or compostable, however, we suggest retaining it for future reference or passing read copies to colleagues and clients. As we are proud of our new FSC logo, we have given this issue a timber focus with editorial from Rosie Teasdale promoting the FSC, along with comment from Karen Prendergast of the leading certification body TRADA. We also have Geoff Hadfield, Ex-Chair of the Wood Recycling Association, and Geoff Arnold, Chairman of the UKTFA. Over the next 6-8 weeks Environment Industry Magazine is supporting some major events in the environmental arena. We are one of the media supporters of BWEA31, one of the most respected conferences on the energy calendar, as well as the only publication in the environment sector to be invited to ECO EXPO ASIA in Hong Kong, and a sponsor of the CABI Global Summit (Food Security in a Changing Climate). We are also sponsoring and presenting the award for Best Conceptual Design at the Brownfield Briefing Remediation Innovation Awards 2009. Presenting this award is one the highlights of our first year and our springboard into the world of contaminated land. Therefore another focal point of this issue is land remediation, with contributions from Joanne Kwan of CIRIA, Matt Whitehead from the Environment Agency and Jamie Robinson, Service Line Director of Parsons Brinkerhoff. So it looks like we will have a pretty hectic autumn schedule which fortunately might take our minds off the awful weather, although maybe nature was confused and gave us autumn in the summer by mistake and we are due a bout of hot sunny weather. I doubt it though, we seem to have got the thin end of the wedge in this climate change scenario, crap wet weather replaced by slightly warmer crap wet weather. The most annoying thing is that our weather recently has been driven by La Nina not global warming which means this is just a “dry run� of how things are going to be unless we do something about it. All this when economically the entire country is forced to take their holidays in the UK. Maybe that is the answer - can the staycation actually abate climate change and give us back our summer weather proving that economics and the environment are inextricably linked? Before I go I have an apology to make: in the editorial on ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
global water disasters in the last issue, we misspelled the name of the former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, so we thank the eagle eyed readers who pointed this out and apologise to Dr Annan for this glaring oversight. Finally, thanks to everyone who have taken the time to let us know what they think of the magazine. Please continue sending your comments and questions to alex@enviromedia.ltd.uk. Future issues of the magazine will include a letters page which can only be accomplished with your contributions. Enjoy the magazine and we will be back in November.
Alex Stacey Alex Stacey Managing Editor
NEWS
MODEC ANNOUNCES JOINT VENTURE WITH LEADING US TRUCK MAKER United States President Barack Obama has announced a significant grant to stimulate electric vehicle manufacturing in the US. Navistar was awarded a grant of $39m, which will be used to accelerate electric vehicle production which ultimately will create or save hundreds of jobs when full scale manufacturing at the site commences. The deal would see a Navistar-Modec joint venture produce and sell electric Class 2c-3 commercial vehicles in North, Central and South America. The zero emission all-electric delivery vehicle would primarily be used for urban-suburban pickup and deliveries, which is the ideal application for this commercial electric van. The Joint Venture is a world first and symbolises evolution ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
in the automotive industry toward a zero emission future. “The all-electric delivery vehicle is a concrete example of what business and government can do when we work together.” said Daniel C. Ustian, Navistar Chairman, President, and CEO. “The future is now with this electric vehicle. In fact, we already have interested customers, including some of the most respected names in the industry.” Bill Gillespie, Chief Executive of Modec, says “Modec is delighted to be finalising a Joint Venture with Navistar. The positive impact on Modec and the electric vehicle world will be significant and this is a true sign of evolution in the automotive industry.”
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ECO EXPO ASIA TO FOCUS ON GREEN PRODUCTION, GREEN TRANSPORTATION AND GREEN BUILDING
ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
From 28 – 31 October 2009, Hong Kong will be an environmental hub as the specially tailored trading platform, Eco Expo Asia, showcases the latest innovations in environmental protection rolls-out at AsiaWorld-Expo. Aiming at providing equitable environmental solutions to domestic and international markets, the fourth edition of Eco Expo Asia has received strong support from environmental professionals in the commercial, governmental and non-governmental sectors. As of July, confirmed country and region pavilions include France, Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen and the UK. These pavilions will feature the latest environmental products, technologies, concepts and high value services at the fair this autumn. Covering a wide eco spectrum, the UK Pavilion will feature more than 13 British suppliers. Exhibitor highlights include environmental design services, air monitoring equipment, organic products for farming, biodiesel processing equipment, energy usage monitoring systems, plus energy and carbon management services.
“We are excited about demonstrating our services to a new audience. Eco Expo Asia will provide CJP with a wonderful opportunity to meet like-minded thinkers and will foster a fertile atmosphere to discuss and develop sustainable ideas for the building industry,” noted UK exhibitor, Mr Paul Clark, Managing Director of CJ Partnership.
Two new thematic zones to be launched at 2009 fair In line with Hong Kong government’s initiatives to promote clean transportation and the use of eco-friendly vehicles, the organisers of Eco Expo Asia will launch an Electric Vehicle Zone at the 2009 fair. Hong Kong based Portapower (HK) Ltd will be displaying their E-motorcycle, E-bike and battery packs in this special area. The second new thematic zone to be launched this year is the Service Industry Zone. Participants in this enclosure include the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, the Hong Kong Institute of Engineers and the Sino Group, which will introduce energy efficient applications in architecture, eco-friendly materials for construction and fitting, environmental project equipment and fitting, as well as eco-friendly landscaping designs. Eco Asia Conference to focus on Green Production, Green Transportation and Green Building Eco Asia Conference returns this year with international scholars and industry professionals to host a series of discussions on Green Production, Green Transportation and Green Building. The French Trade Commission, the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong & Macau and the University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Architecture will hold a Sino-French Seminar on Housing & Building Energy–Efficiency at the Conference this year.
Providing the knowledge and skills to understand and manage the impact of a changing world The Faculty of Environment at the University of Leeds is one of the world’s leading academic centres for research and teaching related to the Earth, it’s environment and the impact of human activity. Training future generations of leaders and engaging in research of global significance.
From the Earth’s molten core to it’s atmosphere, from climate change to sustainable solutions, from the demands of global business to the development of global societies and transport infrastructures, the Faculty offers a wide range of study programmes, collaborative research opportunities and consultancy services.
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ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
INSECTS VS INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES Researchers at the University of Leicester have paved the way for the first ever use in Europe of an insect (biocontrol) to combat an invasive plant species in Britain.
is not to eradicate the target organism but to weaken it so as to restrict spread and increase the effectiveness of other control measures (i.e less herbicide use).”
University of Leicester biologists established that the Japanese Knotweed in Britain was one the biggest females in the world - a clone of cuttings brought into Britain in the 1850s. Costs of controlling it in Britain have been put at £1.5 billion.
The psyllid doesn’t actually eat the plant but sucks the sap like an aphid and also produces vast numbers of offspring on Japanese Knotweed plants, which severely affect the morphology and vigour of the plant.
Defra's Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) has now launched a public consultation exercise into plans to control the Japanese Knotweed using a highly specialist sap-sucking insect – or psyllid - called Aphalara itadori. This follows a rigorous testing regime undertaken by the not-for-profit research organisation CABI at their quarantine laboratories, the purpose of which is to be as sure as possible that potential biocontrol organisms are restricted to Japanese Knotweed and cannot be tempted to stray onto related British plants or economically important species. Lead scientist Dick Shaw said: “Using information compiled by scientists at the University of Leicester, Biocontrol experts at CABI were able to focus their collecting efforts on the precise region of Japan where the European clone of Japanese Knotweed originated. A number of Japanese invertebrates and micro organisms have been subjected to a rigorous testing regime. The aim of biological control
Dr Shaw added: “Since there has never been a release of a biocontrol agent for a plant species in Europe, extreme caution is being exercised by all concerned”. The proposed organism has now satisfied the scientific community that the proposed release under licence would be both safe and beneficial to the environment. On July 23rd 2009 the Government inaugurated a public consultation on the release, subject to the satisfactory conclusion of this process, approval should be granted for the first releases in April 2010.
Early releases would be made only under licence and would be closely monitored, with appropriate contingency plans in place. At the point that the organism is declared to be ordinarily resident, anybody may move it between knotweed sites. Given the fact that our Japanese knotweed is a single clone I feel we have excellent prospects for the specific and effective control of Japanese Knotweed in Britain.“
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STRATHCLYDE LEADS THE WAY IN ENVIRONMENTAL FORENSICS Academics at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow have received a ÂŁ1 million boost by the Glasgow Research Partnership in Engineering, to carry out research in environmental forensics. Professor Robert Kalin, Head of the University's Department of Civil Engineering, said: “Environmental forensics is the key instrument available to untangle complex contamination issues, and ultimately, ensure that the responsible parties hold liability.
With its potential to dramatically cut down investigation costs, environmental forensics will play a central role in the enforcement of new regulations. We're delighted to receive this funding, which will help us to push the research boundaries of this emerging field.� Professor Kalin’s group holds the only major research council platform grant in Environmental Forensics and with other on-going research funding is currently working with industry and Government on real-world environmental forensics applications in the UK. The news follows a number of high profile environmental investigations, most recently, a court case in Northamptonshire, where families claim their children were born with defects caused by exposure to toxic waste. The high court ruled that Corby Borough Council was liable in negligence, public nuisance and a breach of statutory
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duty for its control of steel works during the 1980s and 90s. The decision is the first to establish a link between atmospheric toxic waste and birth defects. Professor Kalin added: “Recent events highlight the importance of environmental forensics within an Environmental Health context.
With new legislation in place, such as the EU Environmental Liability Directive, enforcing authorities will have to determine whether there is environmental damage and decide on the necessary remedial measures. Companies are increasingly liable for environmental damage and the linked liabilities have a powerful effect on new brownfield redevelopment and major civil engineering infrastructure projects. It is estimated that international firms could face new liabilities that could reach 60% of their annual profits.� The demand for expertise in this area led the university to set up a new MSc in Environmental Forensics last year the first of its kind in the UK. The course, run jointly by the University's Department of Civil Engineering and Centre for Forensic Science, allows students to learn about the cutting edge technologies in the field and develop their ability to make judgments in relation to the impact of human activity on the environment.
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ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
ENVIRONMENT AGENCY FINDS PIRANHA IN DEVON RIVER The Environment Agency have warned of the dangers of releasing non-native species into UK rivers after staff discovered a piranha during a routine river monitoring survey. Environment Agency fisheries specialists spotted a dead piranha in the East Okement tributary of the River Torridge in Devon as they began a survey of fish species using electric fishing equipment. At 35 cm long, the fearless piranha is commonly found in the Amazon River basin, and is the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world - infamous for its razor sharp teeth and hunting prey in packs. While piranhas would not survive in UK rivers, the introduction of non-native species poses a serious threat to native wildlife. Floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides), originally from North America, was brought to Britain in the 1980s as a plant for tropical aquaria and garden ponds. After being released into the wild, it is now starving rivers across the south of England and south Wales of light, nutrients and oxygen. This kills many of the species living in it and also increases the risk of flooding by blocking the waterway. Other invasive species that are currently of concern include: signal crayfish and Chinese mitten crabs weakening river banks;
NOT TOO LATE FOR CRAYFISH ON THE ARK The white-clawed crayfish is one of our most threatened native wildlife species. These crustaceans, looking like miniature lobsters, used to be widespread in Britain’s rivers. However, in the last few decades they have been losing out to more aggressive invasive species such as signal crayfish from America. As well as out-competing the white-claws for food and other resources, they carry a disease, called crayfish plague. Although the signal crayfish are not affected, this disease is lethal to our native species and has wiped them out from whole river systems in a matter of weeks. At this rate, it will only take one or two years before we lose native white clawed crayfish from Suffolk rivers altogether. A new project is aiming to prevent this by developing an innovative crayfish ‘ark’. The Environment Agency, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) and Suffolk Biodiversity Partnership have joined forces on this exciting project and have already found one
| 10 | ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
signal crayfish displacing and killing native crayfish by carrying a deadly fungal disease; the dense growth of Japanese knotweed along river banks causing increased flooding risk; topmouth gudgeon displacing native fish in lakes; the impact of mink on water vole numbers. An autopsy, carried out by the Environment Agency, found the piranha’s stomach was full of sweetcorn which suggests it might have been kept as a domestic pet. Environment Agency experts believe the piranha was most likely to have been placed in the river once it became too large for its tank and was found dead as it could not tolerate the low temperature of the water. Fish species which the team would commonly expect to find in the river include salmon, brown trout and, less commonly, the bullhead, stone loach and minnow. Mark Diamond, Ecology Manager at the Environment Agency, said:
“Whilst piranhas can’t survive the colder climates of the UK, this latest find highlights a real issue - that releasing unwanted exotic pets or plants into rivers can have serious consequences for native wildlife. Rather than dumping things in the wild, we would urge people to seek advice about what to do with exotic species.” Eddie Stevens, one of the three-man monitoring team, from the Environment Agency said:
“What we actually came across was something which we would not expect to find in our wildest dreams - we could hardly believe our eyes. After completing 20 metres of the survey, a large tail emerged from the undercut bank on the far side of the river. Our first thought was that a sea trout had become lodged in amongst the rocks and debris collected under the bank but when it was removed from the river we were speechless to find it was a piranha.” landowner keen for his lake to become the first ‘ark’. The lake has been thoroughly checked for suitability and passed with flying colours. Even nearby rivers were checked for non-native crayfish to ensure there was no risk of the new site being invaded. These modern-day Noahs are being supported by funding from Suffolk Environmental Trust, Essex & Suffolk Water and the Environment Agency. More than 50 white-clawed crayfish were rescued from a threatened population and transferred to their new home. They were helped to settle in by providing refuges made of bundles of twigs. These will provide safe hiding places from predators. In time, it is hoped that the transferred animals will breed and grow into a healthy population in this lake. Monitoring will be carried out every year for the next three years to see how they are doing. The hunt has already started for the next site, and the next, until a network of sites have been established that can help save these fascinating creatures from extinction.
ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE | 11 |
INFORMATION WANTED ON WALES’ TOP LEARNERS – REWARD OFFERED
Will Greenstar be Waste & Recycling Business of the Year?
Kevin Thomas, Lantra National Director Wales, says: “Lantra’s Land-based Learner of the Year Awards honour those in the sector committed to improving their abilities. Their skills are vital to the future success, and in some cases survival, of environmental and land-based industries that contribute so much to the Welsh economy. We are looking for nominations to highlight the talent within our nation.”
Greenstar UK is in the running for a major industry award – and it could be a family affair at the awards ceremony as its Greenstar WES subsidiary is also shortlisted for an award. Greenstar UK is one of six companies shortlisted in the Recycling and Waste Management Business of the Year category of the 2009 National Recycling Awards (NRAs). Plastic recycling innovator Greenstar WES is competing against three others in the Recycled Packaging of the Year category of the NRAs. The winners of the National Recycling Awards 2009 will be announced at a gala awards event in London on 27th October.
Previous finalists of this competition have gone on to achieve significant industry accolades. Last year’s ‘Young Learner winner’, Gwyn Johnson, recently won the Livery Guild Award.
SmartestEnergy Signs Two Wind Energy Power Purchase Contracts in Orkney
Lantra, the UK Sector Skills Council for environmental and land-based industries, seeks help in identifying the sector’s most inspiring learners to compete for cash prizes and training vouchers. Employers, trade associations and training providers across Wales are being asked to nominate those making a positive impact in their field and who are dedicated to developing their skills through learning and training, so they can vie for Lantra’s Land-based Learner of the Year Awards.
Mr Johnson said: “Training has been essential to my professional development, giving me a wealth of experience and insight into the vast spectrum of the agricultural industry. I am keen to ensure that agriculture survives as an industry and a way of life for the future.” This year, the sector’s industries have been split into two categories with a ‘Young Learner of the Year’ and ‘Lifelong Learner of the Year’ award in each category. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony held during this years’ Winter Fair on the Royal Welsh Showground on the 30th November. Candidates are judged on their ability to deal with challenges, their use of initiative, as well as their level of skill and attitude to learning. Mr Thomas continued: “Each year Lantra and its judging panels of experts are more impressed at the quality of hard work and enterprise demonstrated by award nominees. We look forward to discovering more about this year’s crop of talented students.” For more information or to download nomination forms, visit www.lantra.co.uk/wales
CAR LEASING FIRM LAUNCHES INDUSTRY LEADING CO2 OFFSET PLAN UK Carline has been working with carbon offset business, CO2 Balance, to research carbon offset initiatives that will absorb or prevent the release of carbon emissions. One of the projects to benefit from UK Carline’s initiative is to provide families in Kenya with energy saving cooking stoves. The new stoves will prevent three tonnes of carbon being emitted into the atmosphere every year. Approximately £50,000 will be invested into offset schemes by UK Carline each year and the new scheme will apply to all vehicles including business or privately leased cars and vans. | 12 | ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
SmartestEnergy Limited has signed two long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with new wind energy developments on the Orkney Islands. The first is with a private, family company, Birsay Energy Ltd, for its site at Dounby on the Orkney mainland; while the other is a community led development on the island of Westray, where all profits generated will be used to benefit the community. Each of the two new wind developments consists of one 900kW turbine expected to generate around 3500MWh per year, and both have been made possible through flexible PPAs from SmartestEnergy and financing from Triodos Bank. The UK’s first Island Micro Grid Goes Online Micro grids are a ground - breaking way of enabling communities to take control of their energy use and reduce their carbon footprint. At CAT, wind, hydro and PV energy work together with an intelligent control system to connect and disconnect to the national. The system, also known as island generation, is the first of its kind in the UK. The Fourfront Group Gains Official ISO 14001 Accreditation The Fourfront Group is delighted to now be officially ISO 14001 accredited after nearly 2 years of developing a robust Environmental Management System. The Group was officially accredited by VCA who are certified by UKAS ensuring the Group met the actual requirements of ISO 14001.
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MASSIVE SURVEY PROBES THE SECRETS OF BRITAIN'S FORESTS Forestry Commission surveyors are starting work on what will be the most comprehensive record of information about Britain’s woods and forests ever compiled. The information they gather will be vital for planning to ensure that Britain's forests can withstand changes in the climate, contribute to climate change mitigation and help society cope with some of the effects of climate change, such as flooding and heat-waves. It will also underpin a wide range of decisions about topics such as forest planning, nature conservation, research, planting, forest and timber industries’ development, and public recreation. The surveyors will visit 15,000 woodland sites the length and breadth of England, Scotland and Wales over the next five years to gather information about numbers and species of trees, their age, height and condition and the other living things in the woods. It will all be fed into the next National Forest Inventory, along with other material gathered by, for example, aerial photography and satellite imagery, to create an accurate, up-to-date picture of the amount and condition of Britain's woodland. The National Forest Inventory is a massive project that
INNOVATIVE DANISH DESIGN PROVIDES NEW SOLUTIONS TO CLIMATE ISSUES With the UN Climate Change Conference (COP15) lurking in the near future, innovative designers are finding new ways of battling climate change. Can a curtain store and save energy? Yes, and it is just one of many new Danish design concepts that will be presented at the international exhibition ‘It’s a Small World’ during the upcoming Copenhagen Design Week. Imagine a curtain that not only blocks out the sunlight but also functions as a solar cell for saving and storing energy. By using Denmark’s position as a leading producer of economic solar cells, the Danish designer Astrid Krogh and her pioneering team of scientists and architects have combined sustainability with aesthetic functionality in a new curtain solution called Suntiles. The curtain is designed for office buildings and offers a new approach in the global struggle to reduce energy consumption. Starting on August 28th 2009, Suntiles and a wide range of innovative design solutions have been exhibiting at the | 14 |ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
the Commission has undertaken about every 10 to 15 years since the 1920s. The current one, however, will be run continuously and has greater significance than usual because of climate change, as Peter Weston, the Commission's Head of Inventory and Forecasting, explained,
“There is growing recognition of the role that trees and forests can play in helping to prevent runaway climate change and in helping society adapt to the effects of climate change. And like any organisation with policy, planning, advisory or management responsibility for a major national resource, we need accurate, up-to-date information about it that is scientifically and statistically sound. This is going to be especially important in light of the role that woods and forests will play in the Government's recently announced UK Low-Carbon Transition Plan. For example, it will be vital for forestry's contribution to the plan to have accurate data on the carbon stored in Britain's forests and the survey will play an important part in helping us to get it.” The first round of surveying is being conducted in all parts of Britain during August, September and October 2009 and the survey will continue until 2014.
Danish Design Centre in Copenhagen – the host city of the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference 2009 (COP15). ‘It’s a Small World’ is part of the first Copenhagen Design Week that explores the possibilities and potential in sustainable design. The exhibition will travel internationally throughout 2010 and 2011. Individual demands and global responsibility ‘It’s a Small World’ examines the role of design as a problem- solver in a world filled with surplus production and an endless supply of products. Global challenges such as sustainability and the growing demand for individual, non-standardised solutions make both specialisation and flexibility key concerns at every stage of the design process. Denmark has a long-standing tradition as a leading design nation. The exhibition, ‘It’s a Small World’, opens in Copenhagen and will present the epitome of Danish design. This showcase of innovative new Danish design will give prominence to Denmark as a society with a creative and politically conscious design environment. ‘It’s a Small World’ is organised in collaboration with Danish Design Centre, Danish Crafts and Danish Architecture Centre.
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Saving the environment, saving costs ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE | 15 |
Severn Estuary, where a tidal power barrage is being proposed
SEAZONE MAPPING HELPS METOC VISUALISE OFFSHORE ENERGY PROJECTS Metoc, one of the UK’s leading Environmental Engineering companies, has selected detailed marine mapping from SeaZone to support the planning, delivery and management of projects across the UK. The company has recently been selected to monitor and report on the installation of the world’s largest offshore wind farm and been appointed to provide expert advice on a potential alternative to the Severn Barrage.
“Using SeaZone data gives us confidence in our studies of the marine and coastal environments and the resulting interpretations and decisions”, commented Harshal
Galgale, a key member of the Modelling and Optimisation team at Metoc. “The data is provided in a format compatible with our Geographic Information System making it easy to use for visualisation purposes along with the other data we collect.” Metoc helps industry and Government to develop resources based on sound financial, environmental, and engineering decisions that reduce risks and costs. They work as advisors and project managers on major infrastructure projects, such as the construction of the £1.3 billion Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm, and provide expert advice to organisations such as the Severn Tidal Fence Consortium, Anglian Water, Financial Consortia and Government. Metoc are also involved in the production of Marine Spatial Plans, due diligence and research projects.
CYBIT WORKING WITH DEFRA TO PROMOTE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT Cybit, the provider of telematics based products and services for the management and control of land and sea based assets, announces that its subsidiary, BlueFinger Ltd, is assisting DEFRA in its promotion of long-term sustainable fisheries management. BlueFinger is providing the shoreside components of the UK's Electronic Recording and Reporting of Fishing Activity System which assists in the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fish stocks under the EU Common Fisheries Policy. DEFRA's selection of the BlueFinger solution is | 16 | ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
the realisation of a broader international effort to combat illegal fishing. The use of new technology will be a major asset when it comes to monitoring fishing activities and quota compliance. The Electronic Reporting System (ERS) will record, report and process all catch related fisheries data including species, landing, transhipment and sales. The information will be updated online by the master of the fishing vessel and transmitted automatically to the responsible authorities.
KKB 3R LIMITED INVESTS IN FOUR POWERSCREEN CHIEFTAIN 1400 SCREENING PLANTS Site remediation, contract recycling and materials processing specialists, KKB 3R Limited of Rochester, Kent, has taken delivery of four Powerscreen Chieftain 1400 mobile screening plants from Blue London. All four of these powerful and versatile mobile screeners are now hard at work on soil remediation contracts for KKB 3R. KKB 3R processes over 2 million tonnes of waste material every year and, in addition to their core recycling and remediation activities, they also provide services such as site clearance, soil stabilisation, licensed asbestos removal, pile and slab breaking, hydrocarbon decontamination and groundwater treatment.
THE SEARCH IS ON FOR THE UK'S 'GREENEST OFFICE' Cartridge World, in partnership with carbon offsetting company, co2balance, has announced the launch of a national competition to find the office that can best demonstrate its environmentally-friendly credentials through ‘green’ office practices and energy saving activities. Open to all companies across the UK, whatever their size, the competition will provide businesses that have lowered their carbon footprint with an opportunity to showcase their initiatives and, it is hoped, inspire others to step up their green practices. The competition is split into 6 regional categories. The winner from each region will progress to the final shortlist, from where an overall winner will be named The UK’s Greenest Office. Any business that believes it can demonstrate its environmentally-friendly credentials is encouraged to enter the competition. The judges are seeking information
The highly successful Chieftain 1400 has a capacity of up to 400 tonnes per hour, depending on material and mesh size, and a number of innovative features for cost-effective and efficient screening and stockpiling of inert waste of quarried materials. This crawler-mounted model provides maximum access for easy maintenance and serviceability, whilst operational efficiency and mobility makes the Chieftain 1400 a truly versatile screening unit for large-scale applications, designed and built for high volume processing of C&D waste, overburden, asphalt waste and crushed stone.
about policies initiated and how the office is keeping the environment in front of mind while conducting its day-to-day business. The panel of judges includes Mike Rigby, Director of co2balance, and Mark Holland, UK General Manager of Cartridge World. Entry is free, and regional and national prizes include laptops, printers and gadgets. The overall winner crowned the UK’s Greenest Office will receive a Carbon Footprint Assessment, Management and Accreditation from co2balance, the award-winning company that helps businesses become ‘carbon zero’ with carbon assessment, management and offsetting services. To enter the competition or to nominate a company for the award visit the Cartridge World website at www.cartridgeworld.co.uk/greenestoffice. The deadline for submitting entries is 30 November 2009, and the winners will be announced in January 2010.
ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE | 17 |
EMCOR TRANSFORMS FUTURE ENERGY GENERATION FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL EMCOR Group (UK) recently celebrated a key milestone in its major infrastructure upgrade project at the University of Liverpool, with a topping out ceremony for the newly constructed £14 million energy centre, marking the completion of the final section of the 47 metre chimney the highest point of the development. The new energy centre, which will provide a new and more efficient way for the University of Liverpool to generate and utilise energy, will ensure the university remains at the forefront of greener energy generation and will enable it to meet its energy and environmental objectives, reducing the university’s annual energy consumption by over 13,000 MWh and CO2 emissions by over 1,500 tonnes, equivalent to taking 477 cars off the road each year. Additionally, the unique partnership between principal contractor EMCOR and the University of Liverpool has also seen the construction project become an on-campus educational resource for the students, providing a new vocational dimension to their education. EMCOR Group (UK) provides engineering services, facilities management and sustainable business solutions for a diverse range of private and public sector organisations. The heating infrastructure project comprises both a new energy centre and the upgrade of the existing campus energy infrastructure, from initial planning, design development and coordination of all electrical and mechanical construction through to commissioning and fit-out. The new energy centre will produce power for the University of Liverpool at a more economical rate than buying it commercially and will supply heat to most of the university’s buildings. The installation of a gas powered Combined Heating and Power (CHP) unit and associated combination boiler will provide electricity and primary high-temperature heat and enable effective re-use of high and low grade waste heat generated from production of the electricity. In addition, the project will centralise the heating infrastructure of the entire university campus and will also decommission the existing plant and demolish the boiler house and its 42-metre chimney, which is located next to the Grade II listed 19th century Liverpool Royal Infirmary. EMCOR’s solution reaches beyond the construction site and gives the University of Liverpool’s civil engineering students the opportunity to experience a live construction environment and engage with EMCOR’s project team to learn about various aspects of construction including environmental impact and noise level restrictions, which minimise disruption to the university occupants and ensure operational continuity, planning constraints and sustainable construction methods selected by EMCOR to maximise materials for re-use and recycling. Students and staff can also view progress on a special webcam. | 18 |ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Steven Dickson, Director of Estates at the University of Liverpool and Bob Dawson, Head of Project Management, joined Andy Walker, Project Manager and John Matthews, Managing Director of EMCOR Engineering Services on the roof as the final section of the 47 metre chimney was lifted into place.
John Matthews, Managing Director of EMCOR Engineering Services said: “EMCOR brings to this high profile project for the University of Liverpool our design and engineering expertise and ability to deliver solutions that meet and exceed our clients’ needs. EMCOR works with many clients to help them achieve environmental objectives and it is our great pleasure to be working in such a close partnership with the University of Liverpool to deliver a sustainable infrastructure project.”
FRENCH STUDENTS BEHIND THE WORLD’S FIRST SOLAR-POWERED BLIMP More than 30 French university students have collaborated to design the world’s first solar-powered blimp, Nephelios, unveiled at the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget. This innovative and ecological aircraft, measuring 72 feet long and 18 feet in diameter, with an average speed of 25mph, is set to change the concept of air travel. Sol’R is a collaborative project between engineering and business students, with the objective of designing and creating the first solar-powered blimp in the world. The students have been working on the project for more than a year, largely inspired by past exploits in modern aviation.
Europe is the largest waste-to-energy plants market in the world with over 429 installed plants in 2008. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan finds that the market earned revenues of €3.1 billion in 2008. The stress from the European Union to shift away from landfills towards better alternatives has indirectly helped the waste to energy business. This diversion of waste from landfills has resulted in the planning and commissioning of many waste-to-energy plants in the last 5 years. Countries such as France and Germany have the largest number of waste-to-energy plants. Such plants have facilitated the effective treatment of waste diverted from landfills, enabling these countries to reach successfully their landfill diversion targets.
PLANNED SUBSIDY WILL PERSUADE MOTORISTS TO SWITCH TO ELECTRIC CARS A £5,000 subsidy would go a long way towards persuading motorists to buy electric cars, the latest research from TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk reveals. According to the website 60% of their visitors would be swayed to buy an electric car if the sizeable price tags could be shrunk through Government incentives.
However, the delay in obtaining environmental and other permits has restrained the growth of this market considerably.
Currently many of the electric and hybrid plug-in cars likely to be eligible under the scheme are expected to come at a premium. While first generation hybrid and especially electric quadricycles seem quite reasonably priced, they are not expected to qualify thanks to the strict criteria that will apply to the incentives.
“The process of obtaining an environmental permit for the construction of a waste-to-energy plant is quite tedious and a substantial amount of time is spent on it,” cautions Frost & Sullivan Research Associate, Karthikeyan Ravikumar. “The delay affects the price of raw materials and, thereby, the overall revenues.”
The next generation of plug-in hybrids and range extended vehicles such as the Toyota’s plug-in Prius expected in the UK by 2010, or the Vauxhall Ampera expected by 2012, will be eligible. Electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf, Mini E, Citroen C1 Ev’ie and the Mitsubishi i MiEV will also likely qualify.
Furthermore, the current economic slowdown will influence the prospects for market expansion. The slowdown will restrict the amount of investment flowing into the wasteto-energy plants business.
According to the Department for Transport (DfT), who announced the planned subsidies in April, the incentives are likely to come into place in 2011, when it is predicted that many of the eligible vehicles will hit the UK market. An incentive of between £2,000 and £5,000 could be introduced to encourage the market for these electric powered cars.
The drop in investments will undoubtedly affect plants that are in the planning stage and that are on the look out for finance. This could result in projects being delayed or postponed by a year or two.
Pricing for some of the eligible vehicles is predicted to be around £20,000 to £94,000.
DAIMLER FLEETBOARD CLINCHES TELEMATICS DEAL WITH TESCO Daimler FleetBoard has landed a £2.2 million deal with Tesco. The supermarket has begun fitting FleetBoard systems to its entire distribution fleet of 1,800 trucks following a six-month trial that produced dramatic reductions in carbon emissions. Tesco now expects to slash its annual CO2 output by a staggering 10,000 tonnes, as well as save nearly £5 million a year in fuel costs. Tesco Transport Director Alex Laffey confirms: “Tesco is committed to reducing its carbon footprint across all areas of the business, which explains why we were recently awarded the coveted Carbon Trust Standard for the UK’s greenest supermarket chain. The further reductions in fuel consumption that we now look forward to achieving with the help of FleetBoard services will make a significant contribution towards this goal. The FleetBoard system has been well received by the drivers at our Lichfield operation, who have embraced it with enthusiasm, and I am confident this experience will now be mirrored nationally.” ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE | 19 |
Prius image by mujitra
EUROPE IS THE LARGEST WASTE-TO-ENERGY MARKET IN THE WORLD BUT DELAYS AND RECESSION THREATEN PRIMACY
NEWS COUNTDOWN TO Organisers say planning is intense during the final 100 days leading up to the 9th World Wilderness Congress, WILD9 the high-profile global forum of debate, agenda-setting and action on wilderness-related environmental issues. Committees representing a diverse range of interests and perspectives are finalising objectives and targets aimed at protecting wild nature – wilderness, wetlands, wildlife, and the oceans – and the benefits they provide to ensure a clean and healthy planet and human well-being. Launched in 1977 by The WILD Foundation, the World Wilderness Congress (WWC) brings together senior-level participants from governments, the private sector, non-governmental organisations, native peoples, academia and the arts, and is unique in its longevity, conservation achievements, and encouragement of public participation in a week of learning, discussion, cultural programs and eco-tourism opportunities. WILD9’s central theme, Wilderness and Climate Change, underscores the critical role of wilderness as carbon sinks absorbing CO2 emissions and as a key component of global strategy to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Other topics include freshwater, biodiversity, wildfires, trans-boundary conservation and corridors, conservation economics, marine ecosystems, and traditional peoples’ connection to nature. These themes will guide plenary sessions, break out sessions, workshops, local excursions, and cultural events and celebrations. For the first time, the WWC will be held in Latin America, in the culturally rich, colonial city of Merida, capital of Mexico’s Yucatan state. “Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s commitment to the environment, eagerness to host the Congress, and his country’s rich biodiversity and
BBGE AND URS PILOT INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUE TO CLEAN UP CONTAMINATED SOIL IN GLASGOW Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering (BBGE) and URS are testing an innovative new technique to clean up an area of highly contaminated soil in Shawfield, part of the Clyde Gateway regeneration area in the East End of Glasgow and South Lanarkshire. BBGE has been appointed by engineering and environmental consultants, the URS Corporation, to conduct the trial. URS is developing a remediation strategy for Shawfield on behalf of the Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company, a multi-million pound partnership over a 20-year period involving Glasgow City Council, South Lanarkshire Council and Scottish Enterprise, with funding from the Scottish Government. The project will test the use of calcium polysulfide, a chemical from the agricultural industry, as a way of | 20 | ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
ecologically significant land and marine scapes, drove the decision to hold WILD9 in Mexico. Merida is an ideal host city, being safe, charming and friendly, and in the heart of the Yucatan where the great Mayan civilization flourished until its collapse widely attributed to poor management of natural resources,” said Vance G. Martin, president of The WILD Foundation. In addition to setting future wilderness conservation targets, WWC participants announce and report on accomplishments and results of initiatives launched at prior congresses, which have included:
Developing the concept of a “World Conservation Bank”, leading directly to the creation of the World Bank’s Global Environmental Facility (GEF), which has provided $12 billion for biodiversity and sustainability;
Prompting the first private sector wilderness area in Africa and first wilderness designation in Latin America (northern Mexico);
Conducting the first global inventory of wilderness and wild rivers;
Including “wilderness” as a distinct classification of international protected areas under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) framework; and,
Establishing the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP).
“We have been working on WILD9 for over two years and, now in the final 100 days of planning, are proud and excited by the strength of the program, quality speakers, concrete conservation targets and great fun in store for those joining us in Merida in November,” said Patricio Robles Gil, president of Unidos para la Conservación.
remediating land contaminated with Chromite Ore Processing Residue (COPR), a common problem found in many former industrial locations around the world. The residue contains the highly toxic chromium Cr(VI). Traditional methods of remediating Cr(VI) contaminated land have had limited success in converting the chemical to the less harmful Cr(III). If successful, the BBGE trial could have significant implications for the remediation of Cr(VI) contaminated land worldwide. The project is being closely observed by the environmental think-tank CL:AIRE (Contaminated Land: Applications in Real Environments). BBGE’s ground improvement company, Pennine, will carry out the test on the Shawfield site. Using a modified Wolton rotary rig, the Pennine team will bore ten metres deep into the ground and simultaneously inject and mix the calcium polysulfide within a representative test area of contaminated soil. URS will take before and after samples from the soil and Pennine will sample the ground water as part of the project’s evaluation.
No Imitations, Thanks - We’re British
POTTER GROUP EXPANDS YORKSHIRE’S PAPER RECYCLING CAPACITY Yorkshire’s recycling capacity has received a boost that will divert an additional 32,000 tonnes of waste from landfill over the next three years following a significant investment in new waste management equipment by Selby-based logistics firm Potter Group. The Potter Group has purchased its state-of-the-art baler with help and funding from Resource Efficiency Yorkshire (REY). The investment sees the expansion of the company’s Selby site and means the Potter Group can now offer recycling services for paper, card, plastics and aluminium cans to customers within a 25 mile radius, including Goole, Doncaster and York. REY, a business support and market development delivery programme funded by Yorkshire Forward and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), provided £54k to assist the Potter Group to purchase its new baler. Having successfully obtained investment to develop this recycling service, the Potter Group is keen to encourage other recycling businesses to locate to its 62 acre site in Selby. The Potter Group has 500,000ft² of high quality warehousing and access to specialist rail services. The Selby depot has the capacity to load containers directly onto freight trains for inland transport or export and it can offer this service to clients and partners. Recycling businesses seeking a covered site with great access and potential for business mentoring should get in touch about potential partnership opportunities.
UNIVERSITY EXTENDS INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION A University of Aberdeen research centre for Micro- and Nanomechanics (CEMINACS) will continue to work with the Timoshenko Institute of Mechanics – a globally renowned centre of excellence in mechanics based in Kiev. The two institutions first signed an agreement in 2004, when the centre was established at the university. The new five year agreement marks a landmark for the centre which, since its launch five years ago, has: Attracted over £1,000,000 of external grants from bodies including
the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Published over 150 papers in leading journals Presented at more than 40 international conferences ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
More UK producers should apply for protected status for the food they produce and join iconic British foods like stilton cheese, Cornish clotted cream and Arbroath Smokies, Food and Farming Minister Jim Fitzpatrick has said. Mr Fitzpatrick, hosting a celebration of foods with Protected Food Name status at Downing Street, urged more producers to stand up for their food and more consumers to support local produce. There are 38 products currently registered in the UK, including Melton Mowbray Pork Pies, West Country Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese and Whitstable Oysters which serve as major tourism draw cards for their home regions. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Verification BSI has launched a new Greenhouse Gas emissions verification service for the aviation industry. This comes in response to the industry’s requirement to comply with the EU Emissions Trading Scheme whereby aviation operators are required to monitor their CO2 emissions and submit a verified annual emissions report by 31st March 2011. Under the EU ETS, operators that run below their allocated level of emissions can profit from selling surplus allowances to other operators that exceed their GHG quota. The scheme will affect some 3,000 commercial and non-commercial airlines which will all become members of the EU ETS. Undertaking BSI’s Greenhouse Gas emissions verification will help companies within the aviation industry to comply with regulatory requirements and to achieve their free allocation of allowances. RSPCA Help Endangered Birds After Oil Spill The RSPCA’s international team has sprung into action after 1,000 tons of oil spilled into the sea in southern Norway after a carrier ship ran aground in an area where there are several nature reserves. In response, an emergency centre has been set up by a network of Norwegian wildlife organisations. Thirty-four species of bird have been affected, with Eiders making up around 90% of those that come into the centre needing help, followed by Scoters, Cormorants, Herring Gulls and Mute Swans. The RSPCA and staff from other animal welfare organisations have helped to care for the birds while they recover in specialist rehabilitation pools, before being released back into the wild.
THREE KEY INDUSTRY EVENTS IN TWO DAYS -
www.brownfieldbriefing.com/conferences
BOOK YOUR PLACES TODAY
REMEDIATION INNOVATION AWARDS 22 September, Grange City Hotel, London Now in its fifth year, the Brownfield Briefing Remediation Innovation Awards recognise best practice in remediation and use of remediation technology by UK-based companies. • The gala dinner will be held on Tuesday 22 September, Grange City Hotel, London. • Our host for the dinner will be Naomi Cleaver, with guest speaker for the evening Huw Irranca-Davies, minister for the natural and marine environment, wildlife and rural affairs. For more information please visit, www.brownfieldawards.com or call 0208 969 1008
CONTAMINATED LAND AND BROWNFIELD REMEDIATION 22 September, The Novotel Hotel, Tower Hill, London Brownfield Briefing’s annual remediation conference takes a timely look at all the major policy, legislative and economic factors influencing remediation strategies now • How is the downturn influencing remediation demand and techniques? • Best practice case studies focusing on affordability, sustainability and innovation.
CONTAMINATED LAND RISK ASSESSMENT 23 September, The Novotel Hotel, Tower Hill, London With house building at its lowest level since records began in 1976 there is even more emphasis than ever on risk assessment. This year the annual Brownfield Briefing risk assessment event will focus on re-thinking the entire strategy for the current economic climate - ensuring pragmatic and appropriate risk assessment. Call 0208 969 1008 or visit www.brownfieldbriefing.com/conferences Sponsored by:
Supported by: Dinner host: Naomi Cleaver
ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
NEWS COMPANY ASSISTS WITH CARBON REDUCTION SOLUTIONS FOR NEW DAY CARE CENTRE Environmental engineering company and water expert MWH is providing assistance and funding for carbon reduction solutions, including a wind turbine, at a new children’s day centre in Norton, near Stockton-on-Tees. The centre is being built by the Daisy Chain charity and will be a new facility for children with autism and their families. The money has been donated from MWH’s Carbon Care Fund and is being used to assist Daisy Chain in constructing an environmentally sustainable building. Matt Simpson, project manager for Daisy Chain explains: “MWH has helped us before, donating £1,000 to our original appeal, so when we approached them again we didn’t know what to expect. We were absolutely delighted when they agreed to donate a further £15,000 – it will make a big difference to us. The money is being used on ‘green’ aspects of the project, with the MWH funding and advice helping us to develop and install a wind turbine, solar panels and a rainwater harvesting system, all of which will help reduce the building’s carbon footprint.” The Daisy Chain Day Centre is scheduled to open at the end of September. It will incorporate a sensory soft play area, and an IT suite, alongside an area for arts and crafts and conference facilities. As well as being available to children with autism and their families the facilities will also be available to any social or community group, school body and professional organisation on request.
SEAZONE MARINE MAPPING HELPS UNCOVER THE PAST IN THE NEW FOREST The New Forest National Park Authority is using detailed marine mapping from SeaZone to undertake an archaeological assessment of its coastline in response to changing sea levels. Part of a nationwide programme of Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Surveys supported by English Heritage, the study will help with the development of long term coastal management plans by identifying archaeological and historic sites, and protecting them where possible or making provision for their recording where this may not be possible. There is a need to protect archaeological sites and artifacts from rising sea level and flooding as well as increasing pressures from industrial, residential and leisure developments. Using SeaZone HydroSpatial together with additional historic records such as aerial photographs many dating back over 90 years, the study aims to identify and record previously undiscovered archaeological sites and artifacts along the 86 kilometres of New Forest and National Park coastline. Supplied as a multi layered theme the digital data is easily used in the Authority’s Geographical Information System (GIS). ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
ECO-ADVENTURER SETS OFF FOR “RUBBISH” EXPEDITION AROUND THE WORLD Andy Pag, the eco-adventurer who drove a chocolate powered lorry to Timbuktu using waste cocoa butter and organised the Grease to Greece Rally, where teams had to scavenge chip-fat to power their vehicles across Europe, is now setting off to drive around the world on an eco-expedition that can best be described as … rubbish! Pag has recycled a scrap yard school bus and turned it into a state of the art eco-home using a mix of reclaimed trash and cutting edge green technology. Not only is the 20 year old “Biotruck” made from rubbish, but it’s been modified so it can run on rubbish too, specifically used cooking oil thrown away by restaurants and caterers. The first fill up comes from Uptown Oils in London, who produce fuel from locally collected used cooking oil. When full, the Biotruck has a range of around 5,000 miles but Pag intends to keep the tank topped up during the 12 month journey from chip shops and burger bars along the route through Europe, the Middle East, South East Asia and the Americas, with the help of an on board Zuwa collection pump, Greenfuel tanks and an Oilybits filtering system. Regular updates will be posted on the expedition website, www.biotruckexpedition.org where followers can track the expedition’s progress.
PASCAL’S WAGER
Sitting with a well-earned pint the other day, I got to wondering what a French mathematician and philosopher from the seventeenth century would have to say about climate change – (as one does). Not just any common-orgarden philosopher mind you, but Blaise Pascal who, in one of his celebrated letters provinciales, said ‘I have made this longer because I did not have the time to make it shorter’ – reason enough for immortality, in my view. But I digress.
conspiracy theories but people who have some considerable influence. Take for example, the inimitable Jeremy Clarkson. I tend to agree with him on just about every other issue upon which he wryly comments but his continuing stance on climate change is nothing short of irresponsible. For many people, he is ‘the man who says what we’re all thinking’, a positive bastion against the excesses of political correctness and health & safety policy gone barmy. His popularity seems to know no bounds.
Matters of faith were pre-eminent subjects of the day and this brilliant and pragmatic man came up with the notion that however long the odds against the existence of a God may be, the penalty for getting it wrong was incomprehensibly severe, that is to say damnation and torture for all eternity. It was therefore prudent to believe in God because if you were right, the reward was heaven and eternal bliss.
I have written before about how crucial it is for the man and woman in the street to respond constructively to climate change but when much-loved cultural commentators such as Clarkson pour ridicule on the issue (he is careful not to argue the science – instead just dismisses it out of hand as ridiculous rubbish, eyes to the sky and hands held in exasperation), enormous damage is done. Clarkson is one kind of commentator. David Bellamy is another. Again, here is a man whose vocal stance on conservation and his recent awards scheme can only be congratulated – yet to the utter bewilderment of his peers and colleagues, he dismisses climate change variously as ‘a load of hot air’ or ‘poppycock’.
If you were wrong – then it made no difference anyway. Of course it’s an argument for pretending to believe in a deity because one can’t suddenly say; ‘OK, I believe’, and because any self-respecting omniscient being would of course know full well that you were simply playing the odds. No – it’s the essential logic which is inescapable. And so from the philosophical debates of C17th France to the seemingly endless debate about C21st climate change. There are people who, despite the overwhelming body of evidence, believe sincerely that the earth is flat. Others believe that the world is only 6,500 or so years old and was made in six days. People can be found who think that Neil Armstrong never set foot on anything further than the Nevada desert and there are yet others who think that AIDS is an US bio-weapon and that Roosevelt had prior knowledge of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. Similarly, despite the phenomenal and overwhelming body of evidence, despite the consensus of the world’s meteorological, zoological, botanical, oceanographic and geographical institutions, despite the personal experience of climate change that every person on the planet now has, despite formal recognition by all the world’s governments – there are still those who deny that we are changing the climate, or even that the climate is changing at all. That’s all fair enough one might say but we’re not just talking about creationist flat-earthers with a penchant for
So let’s find a third way. Jeremy Clarkson wouldn’t argue against fuel-efficiency and David Bellamy wouldn’t argue against cleaner air. Let’s adapt Pascal’s wager. Whether or not you accept that anthropogenic climate change is real, a great many of the things we are advised to do in order to combat it make real sense. The combustion of fossil fuels has other negative results from acid rain to smog and respiratory problems. The overall cost of fuel is rising and it makes powerful economic sense to use it as efficiently as we possibly can. The world’s stores of oil and natural gas are being used at an exponential rate and are becoming more difficult to extract, so we really do need to ensure we use it carefully. By adopting these measures, we also create sectors and new jobs which focus on efficiency and conservation. If climate change is poppycock and rubbish, then these measures simply save money, conserve resources and mean that the air we breathe is a little cleaner. Either way, we all win. Steve Grant can be contacted on steve@stephenmgrant.com ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
… getting to the CORE of renewables … About the author: John Strawson (pictured right, receiving a Special Merit Award from UK-SDA Chairman Tony Marmont) is Managing Director of Strawsons Energy Ltd, the UK’s largest grower and supplier of biomass energy crops and a founder-member of the UK Sustainable Development Association (UK-SDA).
A carbon neutral future …
Operating environment …
The need to gain a better understanding of the efficiency and economics of renewable energy resources is the founding principle and inspiration behind the development of a Centre of Renewable Energy (“CORE”) amongst the rolling acres of biomass energy crops being cultivated at Manor Farm, East Retford, close to the north Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire border.
CORE operates as a straightforward commercial building offering 6,500 ft2 of floor-space, 4,500 ft2 of which is let as exceptionally high quality serviced office accommodation. The building also offers state of the art conference and meeting rooms, fitted with wi-fi and video conferencing facilities. A spacious fitness suite, complete with a personal trainer, and on-site catering facilities round-out first class facilities for use by the resident businesses, other business users and the local community.
The unambiguous aspiration of the CORE development (pictured) is to provide a carbon-neutral business environment. This aim is backed by carefully monitoring the performance of a range of renewable technologies in a fully operational building to see how they perform and interact, and to demonstrate the payback periods on the capital costs involved.
The building also operates as an exemplar and demonstrator for the renewable technologies being used, offering facility visits and tours to groups, such as policy makers and educational parties.
Measuring to manage … Technologies across the spectrum… With this in mind, the CORE building deploys an impressive array of complementary renewables technologies (see monitoring summary display), comprising a wood chip boiler feeding a district heating system, a pellet boiler, an air source heat pump, ground source heat pump, solar heating, solar electric, a wind turbine and rainwater harvesting – incidentally all technologies available through the members of the UK-SDA. One of the purposes in mixing such a comprehensive array of technologies is to gain the maximum possible benefit from the prevailing natural conditions and to see how the various technologies compare in supporting the day to day operations of the building throughout the course of the year.
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For CORE to achieve its ambitious aims, all aspects of the resource consumption performance of the building, and the associated contributions being made by the technologies installed, needs to be constantly and accurately recorded. This information then needs to be available to management, presented in all necessary formats, so that the various renewable power sources can be compared and contrasted and the carbon-neutral goal validated. This measurement and analytical function is provided by the innovative new Gusto Energy Monitoring & Management System (GEMMS) that captures and processes all the necessary data, making it available to authorised managers direct to their PCs. Being internet based, this information can be accessed anywhere in the world, and does not interfere with business fire-wall arrangements.
GEMMS is designed to respond to the Buildings Energy Performance Directive that first came into force in 2003 and has recently been given extra teeth. Although not a legal requirement in the context of CORE, all public buildings over 1,000m2 are now required to display an Energy Performance Certificate to monitor energy consumption and to achieve year-on-year improvements – realistically only feasible through careful monitoring and pro-active management.
A sustainable approach … Quite apart from its exploitation of renewable technologies, the CORE project also adheres to the principles of sustainability, with the majority of the building materials used being sourced locally and derived from the by-products of a nearby power station. The development is also surrounded by willow plantations which are harvested for on-site processing into the wood granules used by the biomass boiler to produce heating and hot water.
And a renewables evaluator … Quite apart from its own intrinsic value, the sophisticated monitoring and management system that backs CORE makes the project an ideal test-bed for the various renewable technologies being used, capable of providing accurate data on how these technologies perform in typical UK weather conditions. These results, as they become available, will therefore become a valuable research tool that will enable these technologies to be deployed with confidence in support of environmental assessments such as BREEAM and the Code for Sustainable Home.
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FSC
Rosie Teasdale
Demand for forest products continues to grow and there is increasing pressure on the world’s forests. Forests once covered half of the planet. Their loss has profound economic, social and environmental impacts. Forests support up to 1.6 billion of the poorest people in the world and 60 million indigenous people, and countless species of plants and animals, are wholly dependent on forests for their lives. Forests also have a beneficial effect on regulating the climate. Deforestation is a major contributor to CO2 emissions. Much of the remaining natural forests still suffer from illegal logging, poor management and conversion to other land uses. Unfortunately, the products of these destructive practices do find their way into the British marketplace. Only by managing the world’s forests responsibly can we ensure long-term timber supplies without jeopardising the wildlife or the future of the people who live and work in the forest. With a balanced approach which considers all the environmental, social and economic aspects of forest management, future supplies of timber can be assured. The Forest Stewardship Council, FSC, has developed a system of forest certification and product labelling that allows businesses and consumers to identify wood and wood-based products from well-managed forests. Products carrying the FSC label are independently certified to assure consumers that they come from forests that are managed to meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations. In an FSC forest ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
trees that are harvested are replanted or allowed to regenerate naturally but it does not stop there. Safeguards are in place in FSC forests to protect rare, threatened and endangered species and their habitats. FSC also insists on indigenous peoples’ rights, and watercourse protection, ensuring that the forest and its dependent community will continue to thrive and guaranteeing future timber supplies. In other words, the forests must be managed with due respect for the environment, the wildlife and the people who live and work in them. This is what makes the FSC system unique and ensures that a forest is well-managed, from the use of local workers to the methods of felling trees. In addition to forest certification, the FSC system includes a certified chain of custody that tracks the timber through every stage in the supply chain from the forest to the final user. The FSC system meets UK Government requirements for legal and sustainable timber sourcing by the Public Sector and is the only wood certification scheme endorsed by the major environmental and social organisations, such as WWF, The Woodland Trust and Greenpeace. FSC UK is a registered charity, working to promote and support the FSC system in the UK. It offers a free basic advisory service, a technical helpline service for more in-depth support, and training courses. The charity also works to raise public awareness of the importance of responsible forestry and the role of the FSC.
Malaysian Timer Council, 24 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP Tel: 020 7222 8188 Fax: 020 7222 8884 E-mail: council@mtc.co.uk
Friday 25th September 2009 is FSC Friday! The aim of FSC Friday is to make people more aware of the importance of responsible forestry and the role of the FSC. Consumers will be encouraged to look for the logo and many FSC certified companies and retailers will be supporting this initiative. FSC UK is also hoping to highlight the importance of UK forests and there will be a range of events taking place in FSC certified forests over the weekend (see www.fsc-uk.org/fsc-friday). Following the success of the inaugural FSC Friday in the UK in 2008, the initiative is now being rolled out globally and it is hoped that events and promotions will be taking place around the world (see www.fsc.org/fscfriday.html). The FSC logo is appearing on a growing number of products. As well as garden furniture and timber for DIY, the logo can now be seen on books, tissues, food packaging, wooden toys and even non-timber forest products such as latex for footballs and rubber gloves. The increasing prevalence of the FSC’s tick-tree logo has helped to raise awareness of the system and has subsequently led to an increase in demand. Consumer demand for FSC-certified timber and timber products, creates a market pull that reaches back through the supply chain to the forest floor. The fact that there are now over 115 million hectares of FSC certified forests worldwide demonstrates the impact on the ground of this consumer demand. The UK is the third largest importer of illegal timber in the world and therefore has a huge role to play in improving the world's timber sourcing. However, more than 10% of all the FSC certificates held by companies around the world are held by UK businesses and WWF has reported that the FSC is the fastest growing forest certification scheme in the world. With continued education and development for consumers and industry, the UK can become an example of excellence in forest product sourcing.
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Sustainable timber procurement
Karen Prendergast, Head of Marketing & Sales, BM TRADA Certification, explains chain of custody certification not only as a means of protecting the world’s forests but of reducing the impact of construction on the environment.
Sustainability is the buzzword of the moment, in both the private and public sectors. Everyone it seems, from central Government and Local Authorities, to national organisations and small private companies, is looking at how their business impacts on the local and global environment. After all, with some seven billion people on the planet there is inevitably ever increasing pressure on natural resources, including timber, the world’s only truly renewable construction material. Wood has been used by man for an enormous variety of purposes since pre-historic times. It has always been widely used in housebuilding and its recent resurgence in popularity comes as no surprise to those who have long appreciated its many qualities. It can be used in conjunction with many other materials and can be found in every aspect of a building. Its inherent properties ensure good thermal and acoustic performance and, if correctly specified and designed, wood and engineered wood products provide strength where needed, as well as offering inspiration for design. The forests which produce timber and wood fibre, therefore, need careful management if they are to continue to meet the increasing demands placed upon them, not only by consumers but also by the communities which depend upon them for their livelihood. Awareness of the need to protect this valuable resource began by hard-hitting lobbying by environmental groups in the 70s, stepped up throughout the 80s. Then in 1993 ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
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Another widely recognised scheme is the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), established in 1999. It is a global umbrella organisation for the assessment of and mutual recognition of national forest certification schemes developed in a multi-stakeholder process. PEFC now has in membership 35 independent national forest certification systems of which 25 to date have been through a rigorous assessment process involving public consultation and the use of independent assessors. These 25 systems account for more than 200 million hectares of certified forests producing millions of tonnes of certified timber. The other national members’ schemes are at various stages of development and are working towards mutual recognition under the PEFC processes.
Above: Many suppliers such as the Ridgeon Group hold certification with BM TRADA for a range of wood products.
the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) was formed, an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests. No longer the sole body of its kind, it was however the first and is widely regarded as one of the most important initiatives taken to promote responsible forest management worldwide through independent certification. Now nationally represented in more than 50 countries around the world, with more than 115 million HA of forest FSC-certified, FSC provides internationally recognised standard-setting, trademark assurance and accreditation services to companies, organisations and communities interested in responsible forestry. The distinctive ‘tick tree’ FSC label provides a credible link between responsible production and consumption of forest products, enabling consumers and businesses to make purchasing decisions that benefit people and the environment, as well as providing ongoing business value. Forest certification is a two-tier process. At the first level, forests are independently certified to a recognised standard. At the second level, operations in the timber supply chain - such as importers and merchants - are certified to allow them to buy and sell the certified outputs from these forests, the process known as chain of custody certification. This is a reliable means of tracking a piece of timber from the forest to the end product, to prove that it has been sourced from a responsibly managed forest. ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Together, FSC and PEFC cover a wide range of timber and forest products. National schemes which have gained global recognition are the Canadian Standards Authority (CSA) and the American Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), both now accepted under the PEFC umbrella, and the Malaysian Timber Council (MTCC) scheme. BM TRADA’s own generic Forest Products Chain of Custody Certification Scheme, (launched in 2004) is now well established in the UK. The scheme recognises that there are certification schemes and forest management initiatives operating in various parts of the world where, currently, there is no route to market for products because of the absence of independent verification of chain of custody. As part of the development process, some of these initiatives may have undergone verification by independent forestry consultants to determine if they would comply, for example, with the UK Government’s Timber Procurement Policy for timber products that are “legal and progressing towards sustainability”. The BM TRADA scheme, therefore, seeks to support these initiatives and is able to give them unaccredited certification under its Forest Products scheme. It provides chain of custody in the UK to a broad range of independent forest certification and verification programmes. The scheme is recognised by bodies such as the Tropical Forestry Trust and Royal Horticultural Society. It also gives buyers a further option in meeting the Government’s timber procurement policy targets, by broadening the base of acceptable certified timber products in the market place. More importantly, it contributes to the further development of forest certification worldwide by lending support and encouragement to various national
Far Left: Together FSC and PEFC cover a wide range of timber and forest products. Immediate Left & Above: Project Chain of Custody is a major breakthrough for sustainable development.
initiatives that are progressing towards certification. This process, if given sufficient market incentive, may give rise to full forest management certification in countries such as Ghana and Congo, who otherwise will find it increasingly difficult to sell timber into the UK. The biggest threat, however, to effective chain of custody development is the non-registered supplier. BM TRADA is working hard to inform specifiers that if a supplier does not have independent proof of chain of custody certification, the chain is broken. A merchant, for example, cannot claim chain of custody on the back of his supplier’s certificate, without having his own. Even if a company does not take possession of the goods, the key indicator is ownership: if you take title to the goods you are potentially in scope for chain of custody certification. Another drawback to developing chain of custody throughout the construction industry has always been the number of contractors and subcontractors who can be involved in a given project. FSC recognised how impractical it could be for major developers to pursue blanket chain of custody, when each project might involve a whole new string of stakeholders. It therefore launched the Project Chain of Custody Scheme, designed to cover individual projects, whether new build or major refurbishment/ redevelopment. The FSC Project Certification Standard was a collaborative effort between FSC UK and FSC Netherlands; their stated aim to meet ‘the need for projects to demonstrate their responsible timber purchasing in the real world of construction, where time-frames and complexity make chain of custody certification for each individual company involved impractical’. The scheme recognises that not all contractors/sub-contractors on site carry their own chain of custody certification. It allows them instead to be covered as project members. They are required to source timber/ timber products from a supplier with valid chain of custody certification but are not required to have their own chain of custody registration. Full FSC Project Chain of Custody (PCoC) certification requires that 50% of the total volume of timber or 50% of the total cost of the timber in a project is FSC certified. Partial FSC Project Chain of Custody certification enables a company to make a claim about an element of the build, e.g. the windows or the doors.
To ensure that this is verified: • A Project Manager with responsibility and authority to implement and maintain the chain of custody is appointed to oversee the process. • Records are maintained to document the purchase, delivery, receipt, invoicing and volumes of all timber products received on site. • All personnel involved in the project with a defined responsibility within the chain of custody system are fully trained in Chain of Custody procedures. • Detailed records on training are maintained. PCoC can be used universally, covering all types of structures, not just of timber. If all the shuttering timber and plywood for a concrete bridge or flyover, for example, uses only approved timber, it can be certified. For contractors who already employ tight site controls, for example through ISO 9001:2008-certified quality management systems, Project Chain of Custody would not be hard to take on board. It simply involves incorporating additional controls into everyday, good working practice. The pilot project for this ground-breaking chain of custody scheme was the much feted Westside Apartments block in east London, built by Hollybrook Residential for the Tower Homes Housing Association. BM TRADA had a key role to play as external assessor. The high-quality building was delivered several weeks ahead of schedule, within original budgets. It dispelled any myths about high cost, poor supply and delivery delays regularly put forward by those unconvinced of the viability of Chain of Custody. The development was hailed as a breakthrough by everyone involved: contractor, timber suppliers, housing association and certification bodies. In summary, chain of custody is not solely a tool for protecting the environment – used correctly it also makes sound business sense. The question ultimately is not whether you should be certified but if you can afford not to be. For further information onChain of Custody Certification visit: •
www.bmtrada.com
•
www.fsc.org
•
www.pefc.org ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Timber frame goes mainstream The market share for timber frame construction has continued to advance despite the severe trading conditions that set in during 2008. Timber frame industry experts give their predictions for the year ahead. Timber frame has gone mainstream. While the industry has not been immune to the losses suffered by the housebuilding sector, timber frame’s market share now stands at 25% of all new housing in the UK, according to the annual market report published for members of the UK Timber Frame Association. While other methods of construction saw their volumes plummet by almost 40%, timber frame units declined by 29% in 2008. What lies behind this market resilience? As Geoff Arnold, chairman of the UKTFA explains: “The sectors that have remained particularly strong are in affordable housing, education and healthcare. These are all areas that have embraced timber frame in the past and they’re still loyal because timber frame ticks their boxes: fast and efficient, good value and genuinely sustainable. If you’re a housing association or local authority, for example, you’re not going to get accused of greenwash for using timber frame. The timber frame industry is also fortunate in that it’s not a capital intensive industry. Most of our members have been hit to varying degrees, some quite significantly but, because of that lack of capital intensive process, people have been able to scale their businesses back accordingly.”
Industry views on 2010 “Personally, my view is that 2010 will continue to be tough but the need for fast, sustainable building is becoming even more critical. So while public money will be cut, what money there is will be given to contractors who can build fast and cost-effectively to high environmental standards. I am very confident about the future. All these factors will be in timber frame’s favour. We are able to provide the fastest market response while ticking all the sustainability boxes and reducing our clients’ working capital requirements. Working together we can all take advantage of the exciting new market ahead.” Geoff Arnold, MD, Pinewood Structures “I think market levels will continue to rise over the coming year. I can also see demand increasing for technologically advanced panel systems in 2010. There are already signs of this – particularly for ‘roof in roof’ solutions – and I think this will continue to grow in popularity, driven by a demand for greater floor area, better thermal performance and by health and safety implications during construction. We are making significant advances into these areas and will be offering comprehensive design, manufacturing, supply and erection services throughout the UK.” Jonathan Fellingham, Donaldson Timber Engineering
Every last drop of value The market share for timber frame has risen for the 10th year. Even in its most mature market, in Scotland, timber frame’s market share of new housing is over 75% and still rising. Geoff Arnold is confident that this will continue to rub off on England and Wales too:“The housebuilding industry in Scotland has embraced everything that offsite construction has to offer and has re-engineered the building process to enjoy every last drop of value. The technology is exactly the same as you’ll see in England but builders have developed smarter design specifications, on site practices and supply chain processes to suit. It’s no wonder that market share is so high and continues to grow in Scotland. Decades of demand, proven performance and customer satisfaction has created a housebuilding industry and mature supply chain with huge experience of using timber frame and some very clever ways of using it better. Will we ever see the same in England and Wales? I think the answer is yes. It is definitely achievable. Timber frame market share is growing fastest here and, although the construction industry is a conservative one, builders are not daft. The business benefits, let alone the brownie points that come from lower carbon timber frame, are becoming much better known.” ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
“2010 will be a landmark year. We are optimistic about seeing a real upturn in business and we’re busy developing our portfolio to meet the changing regulations and developing needs of our customers. The affordable housing sector remains very important to us – it’s ideally suited to timber frame construction. Funding must be made more widely available to support housing associations in their plans to build energy efficient and affordable homes as quickly as possible.” Bob Edwards, Scotframe Timber Engineering “We have already started to see developers needing to open sites quickly with the minimum of fuss and they are choosing timber frame again exactly because of its responsiveness, predictability, speed of build and reduced wastage.” Christine Jones, Robertson Timberkit “With the ever-increasing legislative demand impacting the construction industry, timber frame continues to tick all the boxes. We anticipate a gradual but consistent increase in activity across all sectors of the market. The opportunity for 2010 and beyond is substantial.” Gary Yeomans, Stewart Milne Timber Systems
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WOOD RECYCLING Geoff Hadfield, MD of Hadfield Wood Recyclers and former Chairman of the Wood Recyclers Association, says the future for the industry is bright as more biomass plants come on stream … Today’s consumers have learnt to think green in every area of their lives. Whether it’s food, clothes or energy, reduce, reuse, recycle has become an everyday mantra for many people looking to help the environment and save money. And it is no different in industry. With rises in landfill taxes, landfill operator costs and haulage costs, plus a tightening up of waste packaging regulations, businesses and public sector organisations alike are facing increasing pressures to recycle waste materials wherever possible. Traditionally paper, metals and plastic have led the way in recycling for industry, while wood has been an emerging market. The past ten years, however, have seen a huge growth in wood recycling and one which is set to continue as further markets transpire. The UK produces around six million tonnes of waste wood each year. The majority comes from civic amenity sites, construction and demolition, and commercial and industrial sectors such as furniture manufacturing and joinery. In 1996 less than 2% of that waste wood (less than 200,000 tonnes) was being recycled. Last year that figure had risen to 22% (around 1.9 million tonnes). And as the amount of waste wood has increased, so the potential uses for that wood have diversified. A decade ago 95% of recycled waste wood was used in the panel board industry to make chipboard and MDF. That market still uses the majority of recycled waste wood, around 75%, but alternative markets have sprung up, creating many more opportunities for wood recyclers around the UK and therefore more opportunities for businesses to recycle their waste wood and avoid the more expensive route of landfill. Amongst the alternative, or “added value” markets, are animal beddings, arena and gallop surfaces, compost, mulches and playground coverings. These products require the waste wood to be completely clean. Huge financial investment is needed by wood recyclers to ensure they have the machinery and expertise to produce such products to the standard required by the end user. For some products, for example equine bedding, only higher grades of waste wood (eg: clean white wood pallets, soft wood and packaging) can be used. This has meant that for several years lower grade waste wood which has ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
already been recycled, such as MDF, melamine and chipboard, has had minimal use. But that too is gradually changing. As the UK looks to find alternative sources for energy, so an alternative use for the lower grade waste woods is emerging: wood chip as biomass fuel. This huge volume market has already seen three large scale wood chip biomass plants come on stream in the UK. Slough Heat and Power uses a combination of clean wood chips and fibre fuel at its energy centre in Slough, which it converts into electricity, supplying both the Slough Trading Estate and the Kings Norton Business Park in Birmingham. Although some of the material for the wood chips is specifically grown crops, much is taken from forestry enterprises and tree surgeons, as well as demolition material and joinery off-cuts. UK Wood Recycling on Teesside was set up in 2007 to deliver 80,000 tonnes of recycled wood chip to the SembCorp Biomass Power Station. The recycled chip is mixed with virgin timber and short rotation coppice to generate 30 MW of electricity a year. And E.ON at Lockerbie also began operations in 2007, burning around 480,000 tonnes of wood a year, of which one fifth is from recycled sources. The Government has set a target to provide 10% of the UK’s energy from renewable sources by 2010 and, as such, several other large scale biomass power stations are also in the pipeline, as well as many smaller projects to heat public and private buildings alike. All large scale biomass plants using recycled waste wood must be compliant with the Waste Incineration Directive (WID) and cleaning methods and chemical testing is required prior to any material being burned. This is not the case for smaller scale projects and, as a result, these are unable to burn the lower grade woods. Increasingly CHP plants – Combined Heat and Power – are being designed and used by local authorities for hospitals, schools and universities. These use clean waste wood because the majority of them are non- WID compliant. But for those small and large scale plants that are WID compliant, the potential for diverting waste wood from landfill is huge, meaning the opportunities for businesses with waste wood to dispose of are growing every day. The WRA (Wood Recyclers Association) was set up in 2001 and has 59 member companies. It represents the interests of the wood recycling industry to Government, the Environment Agency and other regulatory authorities in the UK.
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CASE STUDIES
Blue Scotland Provides New £1.5M Recycling Plant for William Tracey Group William Tracey Group is a long-standing customer of Blue Group and, as part of their continuing expansion and growing requirement for recycling ever-increasing volumes of waste materials, the company has turned to Blue Scotland to design and install a tailor-made £1.5M processing plant at their Linwood waste treatment centre. The new recycling plant is comprised of a number of compatible processing and materials handling modules from Blue Scotland’s range of distributorships, including Kiverco, General Kinematics and Nihot. A series of free-standing feed, transfer and discharge conveyors provide the essential linked materials flows for the processing equipment, the covered picking station and for stockpiling varied recycled waste sizes and volumes, including fines and topsoil. A General Kinematics grizzly feeder is the first point of treatment for the incoming raw commingled waste. This screening plant is equipped with fingers to provide multiple sized separation of the mixed waste from 250mm down, with the fines going on to the Kiverco 835 trommel, which removes the 25mm material. The remaining waste (250mm-25mm) is then conveyed to the Nihot installation for final reclamation of “heavies”, midsized woodwaste and the RDF light fraction. The 250mm+ material is conveyed past a blower and into the picking station for sorting into designated bays; a magnet and secondary blower are located past the picking station to provide a final clean-up of the remaining hardcore which is stockpiled for crushing. The GK Grizzly Feeder Designed specifically for multiple sized separation of mixed waste or single stream recyclable materials, the GK Grizzly Feeder employs a patented, non-binding, finger screen design that reduces blinding and blockages that ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
can occur in difficult applications, where conventional perforated or wire mesh screens are unsuitable. The Kiverco 835 Trommel The secondary screener in William Tracey’s recycling system is a Kiverco 835 Trommel. A heavy-duty model, the fully enclosed rotating screening drum is 13 metres in length and 3.30 metres in diameter. The drum speed is infinitely variable with a heavy-duty four-wheel electric drive. The Nihot System The Nihot SD single drum separator and Windshifter WS provide an additional facility for highly selective separation. The Nihot SD uses controlled air to divide waste input into two fractions – heavy and light, passing on the lighter materials to the Windshifter for further separation. The Windshifter WS also uses a controlled air principle for greater separation of the light fractions and this is also equipped with dust filtration. The Kiverco Picking Station This tailor-made picking station features 6 bays and 12 drop chutes which are positioned either side of the 1.5m wide and 29m long infinitely variable speed conveyor. A primary blower removes light fractions prior to picking, with an overband magnet and a secondary blower located at the end of the station for further safe removal of ferrous metals and lights after picking. Talking about the new recycling plant, William Tracey Group’s Managing Director Michael Tracey said, “We’ve worked with Blue Scotland for many years and we know that we can rely on them to provide the best solutions for us. Our new plant combines technologically advanced equipment to maximise recoverables and its performance certainly meets all our expectations”.
Ian Hetherington, Director General of British Metals Recycling Association, talks about a surge in opportunities and the bureaucracy that could hold back business.
Ian Hetherington new DG of BMRA
This autumn the EU will consider proposals for defining “end of waste” as part of the new Waste Framework Directive, which it is anticipated will take steel and aluminium out of the waste stream and pave the way for all recycled metals to be reclassified as secondary raw materials. It is a legislative change that looks set to transform the way metal recyclers can operate and has the potential to open up new export markets, boosting trade in difficult times. The reclassification of metals as secondary raw materials is not the only opportunity being presented to metal recyclers. The industry could well be poised for something of a renaissance with calls for the introduction of a raft of scrappage schemes to stimulate the economy by encouraging consumers to trade in old cars, fridges and televisions for new more environmentally-friendly versions. These proposals are music to the ears of metal recyclers, who have been battling through difficult trading times and working hard to maintain the UK’s position as one of the main players in the global recycled metals market. However, some industry insiders are concerned that their ability to take advantage of these opportunities may be hampered by the Government’s plans to revise various rules and regulations governing recycling operations. The metal recycling industry has learned that, over the coming three years, the Government proposes to: Review environmental permitting exemptions – its current preference is the introduction of full environmental permitting for metal recyclers, in place of an exemption system that has served everyone well for the last 14 years. Re-impose landfill tax on shredder residues – the tax will be applied at the top rate and applied even where this residual material is being used for day cover and other engineering uses. Introduce Pollution Prevention and Control (PCC) regulation of shredders – this is being done despite the fact there is no valid evidence that shredders produce harmful pollutants that justify this level of control. Revise certificates of technical competence – the government wants to introduce a requirement for site supervisors to obtain a certificate of technical competence that is obtainable by exam. The industry believes the proposed certification process is ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Adrian Bailey, MP, discussing the future of metal recycling
disproportionate to the responsibilities of site supervisors and has yet to see any evidence that environmental benefits will arise from this type of competency certification. Continue with enforcement systems that do little to minimise unfair competition or stamp out illegal operators – it is well known that many local authorities are failing to fulfil their duties under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act. This presents problems for metal recyclers and the communities they serve; it attracts fly-by-night collectors and creates opportunities for criminals. Both have economic and environmental consequences. These proposals pose numerous threats to metal recycling operations because they increase the burdens on businesses and introduce more cost and complexity, without providing any additional protection for the environment or human health.
Metal recyclers need a legislative framework that reflects the nature of their business if they are to benefit from the changes to the End of Waste Directive and play a full role in increasing the UK’s ability to recycle metal recovered from simple or complex sources. Over the coming months the British Metals Recycling Association will be lobbying Government to make the case for an industry-specific review of legislation. Metal recycling in the UK accounts for 45% of Europe’s 10 million tonne global trade. In 2007/08 the industry recycled 2 million cars, 5 billion food and drink cans, 3.5 million white goods and 8 million automotive batteries. The industry is crucial to the country’s ability to hit EU recycling targets for end-of-life vehicles, batteries, packaging and WEEE. With the right legislation in place metal recyclers can achieve so much more.
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How to manage Volatile Organic Compounds What are volatile organic compounds? Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be defined as organic compounds that are volatile under “normal” environmental/atmospheric conditions, although they may be found in the ground in the solid, liquid and dissolved phase form as well as in the gaseous phase. VOCs are one type of source for hazardous gases in the soil. These compounds can be derived from natural sources but are often present because of spillage/leakage of solvents or fuels associated with commercial and industrial activity, or historically poor waste disposal practices. Typical VOCs include:
Joanne Kwan, CIRIA, and Katy Baker, ARCADIS, outline how the risk from inhalation of volatile organic compounds, generated from ground affected by contamination, should be assessed.
• petroleum (non-halogenated) hydrocarbons, eg benzene, toluene, butylbenzenes • halogenated hydrocarbons, eg chlorinated ethenes and ethanes (dry cleaning fluids or degreasers) or chlorofluorocarbons (freons) • nitrogen, sulphur and oxygen-containing organic compounds, eg tetrahydrofuran.
Where do VOCs comes from? Industries: VOCs are used widely across several industries. Spills, leaks or discharges associated with their production, storage, distribution and use in industrial processing, or historically poor industrial waste disposal practices, result in the presence of VOCs in different media in the general environment, including soil, groundwater, surface water and air spaces. Data sources such as the Department of the Environment Industry profiles (DOE, 1995) provide references as to which VOCs are typically associated with different industrial and commercial activities. Landfill sites: trace components are often detected at landfill sites and can be indicators of more significant sources that can include (among some 500 others) VOCs. These trace components may derive directly from materials present in the waste but also from degradation processes. At sufficiently high concentrations, these compounds can contribute to adverse odour or health effects. Further information is contained in the Environment Agency guidance document ‘Monitoring trace components in landfill gas (EA, 2004)’.
Figure 1 Typical source of VOCs from residential developments (courtesy CIRIA/BRE)
Building, furnishing and consumer household products: VOCs are present at variable concentrations in both indoor and outdoor air spaces due to their use in building, furnishing and consumer household products. Examples include aerosols and propellants, cleaning products, carpets, cigarette smoke, wall and floor tiles, furnishings, flame retardants and gas ovens, all of which could affect air quality measurements in an indoor air space (see Figure 1). ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
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Soil and Water Remediation is an independent UK based specialist remediation contractor providing all aspects of Site assessment and Remediation services. The company's fundamental aim is to provide cost effective, pragmatic and impartial solutions for clients with problematic sites requiring remedial solutions. Our services include: In-situ bioremediation Ex-situ bioremediation In-situ chemical oxidation Dual vapour extraction Pump and treat Systems Dig and dump Ecology services – inc Japanese knotweed erradication For further information on any of the above, please call: Brian Graham, Fareham office Mobile: 07738 457394 Email: bgraham@sawr.co.uk Alan Mckillop, Dundee Mobile: 07921 471532 Email: amckillop@sawr.co.uk
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Figure 2 Emission of non-methane VOCs (1970 - 2005) from different sources in the UK (courtesy AEA Energy and Environment, 2005)
Vehicle emissions: the use of fossil fuels in vehicles, such as cars, aeroplanes and ships, contributes to the presence of VOCs in the general environment. The emission of VOCs in combustion products from road transport, and other industrial/commercial uses, has decreased steadily in the UK since the late 1980s, as shown on Figure 2, although the trend for emissions from air travel is less clear. Naturally occurring VOCs: natural occurrence of non-methanogenic VOCs is generally low unlike other soil gases, such as methane or carbon dioxide. However, there are volatile compounds that are known to be naturally occurring, for example: • carbon disulphide in coastal and marshland areas with high biological activity terpenes released from pine trees • methylated mercury and selenium, observed in global geochemical cycles • VOCs produced because of metabolic processes.
Hazardous effects of VOCs There are several recognised hazards and effects of VOCs, the most common in this context being health effects following inhalation exposure. The human health effects of different VOCs depend on the toxicity of the VOC, the degree, nature, and duration of exposure, as well as the sensitivity and well-being of the receptor. There are other potential hazards and effects of VOCs in soil gases, such as odour nuisance or flammable/explosive hazards, which may also require assessment at land contamination sites.
Where can you get help if you have a VOCs problem? The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), its predecessor departments and the EA have produced a series of guidance documents that provide a general framework and approach for investigating, assessing risk and remediating land contamination. This includes guidance on methods to investigate the potential risks from inhalation of VOCs. However, the complexities involved in investigating and assessing many of the pathways by which people can be exposed to contaminants, necessitated the development of more detailed guidance for assessing the potential risks from VOCs for land affected by contamination. To address this need for further information, CIRIA is due to publish a new guide to provide information on: • how to develop a conceptual site model relating to the inhalation of VOCs at land contamination sites ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
• designing an investigation strategy for VOCs in the subsurface and air • advantages and disadvantages of different investigation techniques and common pitfalls • methods for interpreting and assessing risk from VOCs at land contamination sites • remediation considerations where a potential risk is identified.
The VOCs Handbook New CIRIA publication, ‘The VOCs Handbook: Investigating, assessing and managing risks from inhalation of VOCs at land affected by contamination (C682)’ provides a structured approached for the assessment of VOCs via the inhalation exposure pathway. It has been prepared to be consistent with existing UK guidance on land contamination. In particular, the publication sits alongside the Contaminated Land Report 11 (CLR11) Model procedures for the management of land contamination (Defra and EA, 2004a) and more recent documents, and complements the CIRIA publication released in 2007 (C665) Assessing risks posed by hazardous ground gases to buildings (Wilson et al). The VOCs Handbook will be officially launched at CIRIA’s annual contaminated land conference on 14 October 2009 in London. To find out more about the conference or to order a copy of the handbook, visit www.ciria.org, call 020 7549 3300 or contact CIRIA, Classic House, 174-180 Old Street, London EC1V 9BP. References 1. DEFRA and ENVIRONMENT AGENCY (2004a) Model procedures for the management of land contamination, Contaminated Land Report 11 (CLR11), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Environment Agency 2. DOE (1995) Industry profiles Department of the Environment, Belfast. Available from: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/planning/33708.aspx 3. Environment Agency (2004a) Guidance for monitoring trace components of landfill gas, Environment Agency Report LFTGN 04. 4. Wilson, S, Oliver, S, Mallett, H, Hutchings, H AND Card, G (2007) Assessing risks posed by hazardous ground gases to buildings, C665, CIRIA, London (ISBN: 978-0-86017-665-7).
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Corby Council Ruling – brownfield site redevelopments “not in danger” By Jennifer Stephens, solicitor, and Claire Brook, senior counsel, in the environment and safety team at national law firm Dickinson Dees
Few environmental industry insiders could have missed the recent high-profile ruling by the High Court, in which the remediation works carried out by Corby Borough Council in the 1980s and 1990s were ruled to have had the ability to cause birth defects in sixteen individuals. Although the Council has announced that it intends to appeal the decision, and so the case is not yet cast in stone, the ruling has already led to suggestions that the standard for reclamation works has been set ‘very high’ and could mean that developers and councils are less willing to take them on. For all this speculation, the case does not set a potentially worrying legal precedent for land developers, for reasons discussed below. But while the specifics of the Corby Council case’s remedial works should not be cause for general concern among developers, two other concerns are likely to be on developers’ minds - the liabilities of the brownfield developer compared to those of the polluter and the potential new risks to developers which arise from the recent introduction of the Environmental Damage (Prevention and Remediation) Regulations 2009. ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Remediation works – standard of care As with most brownfield remediation projects, Corby Borough Council, which carried out the clean-up at the former steel works site, was not the original polluter. When British Steel closed the site in the late 1970s, a significant number of Corby residents were made redundant and the Council decided to buy the site with a view to remediating and redeveloping it, as a stimulus to economically rejuvenate the area. However, the site was vast and, as a result of the old steel works, was significantly contaminated with materials such as cadmium, chromium, nickel, PAHs and dioxins. The Court found that the manner in which the Council carried out the reclamation works was negligent, had caused a public nuisance and was in breach of its statutory duties under waste management law. The Court further held that these breaches had the ability to cause 16 of the 18 birth defects suffered by the claimants. A separate hearing will be required however, to determine whether the Council’s breaches actually caused the defects and, if so, whether and how much compensation should be awarded.
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“...the site was vast and, as a result of the old steel works, was significantly contaminated with materials such as cadmium, chromium, nickel, PAHs and dioxins.” The issue in the case was not the presence of contaminants at the site, rather the manner in which the remediation works were carried out. This is an important distinction – it was the reclamation works that triggered the action, liability arising from the presence of the contamination was not considered.
What is the standard of care for conducting remediation works? Many commentators have argued that as a consequence of the Corby case, the Court has drawn the standard for remediation works “very highly”. In fact, the Court has not told us anything new - the legal principles of negligence, public nuisance and statutory duty are well established and have always applied to the redevelopment of brownfield sites. Whilst the environmental hazards encountered at the Corby site were vast and varied, any brownfield site will have its share of hazards to deal with. The duty to use reasonable care and skill during the execution of the works to avoid injury (including birth defects) is a subjective duty and the standards required will be different in every project. However, since the Corby reclamation was carried out in the 1980s and 90s, regulatory scrutiny both from planning and environmental perspectives has increased significantly. There have also been huge developments in understanding the properties, effects and dynamics of particular chemicals in the environment and in reclamation technology, all of which means that remediation works should be much more sophisticated and more closely managed nowadays. It is far less likely today that large-scale brownfield developments would be able to commence until detailed environmental investigations have been carried out and a remediation plan has been agreed with the regulators. In our view, developers who employ the services of competent consultants and ensure that the work is carried out with regulatory approval should have little to fear from the outcome of this case.
Clean-up of Brownfield Land – does the polluter pay? There is another important issue for developers to consider that the Court did not address in the Corby case - ‘who is responsible for the presence of the contamination and for any necessary clean-up?’ In other words, does the ‘polluter pay’ or can a developer become responsible for contamination that it did not cause? ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Liability for contamination can arise from a number of sources of environmental law. There are three main potential sources of liability that developers should be aware of, namely the UK’s contaminated land legislation, other regulatory regimes and claims in relation to neighbouring properties affected by off-site migration of contamination.
Contaminated Land Legislation Under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the contaminated land regime requires local authorities to identify contaminated sites and ensure clean-up where appropriate. The local authority must identify who is responsible for the remediation and importantly, the responsibility for clean-up does not necessarily lie with the original polluter. Depending on the circumstances, liability can fall to a “knowing permitter” (i.e. someone aware of contamination occurring and who is in a position to do something about it but fails to do so). Also, liability will pass to a buyer (or tenant of a lease of over 21 years) where the property is “sold with information” - this is where the buyer is provided with, or has the opportunity to obtain information about the condition of the property. In reality therefore, primary liability for contamination on a brownfield site will pass to a buyer in most property transactions, except where there is a specific agreement to the contrary (an “agreement on liability”). Where there is an agreement on liability, the regulatory authority is required to give effect to that agreement.
“Whilst the environmental hazards encountered at the Corby site were vast and varied, any brownfield site will have its share of hazards to deal with.”
Other Regulatory Regimes Other regulatory regimes may also give rise to liability where pollution has been caused or permitted, for example under the Water Resources Act 1991. Clean-up can be required and prosecutions be brought against the original polluter and/or a present owner or occupier of a property.
Claims from Neighbours There is also a risk of liability to owners/occupiers of neighbouring properties if pollution escapes off-site. A neighbour can bring a claim against the original polluter but could also claim against a current occupier if pollutants are continuing to migrate off-site. It is clear that the concept of “the polluter pays” will not always apply. Legal liability for contamination may, by intention or default, lie with current owners and developers, regardless of the fact that they did not cause the
contamination to be present in the first place. It is vital that buyers of land carry out effective due diligence prior to purchasing a property to find out the full extent of the potential liabilities at the site.
developers to monitor their operations and identify potential environmental damage but it is also likely to result in even more rigorous environmental investigations being carried out on the acquisition of brownfield sites and prior to development works.
Environmental Liability Regime Environmental liability is a highly significant aspect of the Corby case and is made more complicated by recent legislative changes. The Environmental Damage (Prevention and Remediation) Regulations 2009, which came into force on 1 March 2009, introduced a new regime that will impose liability on operators of commercial activities that cause, or may cause, significant environmental damage after this date. Where significant environmental damage is or may be caused, immediate steps must be taken to prevent and/or remediate the damage. The regulator’s powers under this legislation are more straightforward than those under the contaminated land regime, as the regulator does not have to identify the person responsible for the presence of the contamination and can pursue a current operator of the site. Developers of brownfield land could therefore find themselves liable for allowing environmental damage, even where they did not cause the original damage, for example where pollution continues to migrate off-site. The Regulations put an increased onus on property
Conclusion Brownfield sites remain vital development opportunities for rejuvenating Britain’s towns and cities. To avoid liability for the clean-up of contamination, developers should ensure that they carry out full and effective due diligence prior to the acquisition of sites so that they are fully aware of the potential liabilities that may arise during and after the development works. Developers who employ the services of competent consultants and ensure that the work is carried out with regulatory approval will greatly mitigate the risk of liability. The Corby Council ruling is not a departure from the current regulatory framework and therefore should not be interpreted as a danger to brownfield developments that are either ongoing or have already been completed. As long as the regulatory standards and an appropriate duty of care have been met, landowners and developers should have little to fear from the outcome of this case.
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Groundwater Contamination. Is it Your Liability? By Jamie Robinson BSc MSc CGeol EurGeol SiLC Service Line Director, Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd
The current regime regarding the assessment of groundwater contamination in the UK places emphasis on the use of risk assessment. CLR11 advocates a process regarding the investigation of sites which generates preliminary and detailed risk assessments. With the implementation of the Environmental Damage Regulation in the UK this year, there is a requirement to demonstrate that current activity on sites is not causing damage – making more risk assessment a reality. With this necessary emphasis, sometimes the obvious questions are overlooked – namely does the source and the risk really belong to me? Given the industrial heritage of the UK and the close proximity of many old industries
the answer is not by any means clear cut. This paper considers a specific example where more detailed analysis of the problem can identify multiple sources and apportion liabilities. Former gasworks are known to store ammoniacal liquor as a by-product from the gassification process. Should ammonium/ammonia be identified within groundwater associated with such sites, the immediate assumption is that the historic gasworks process is the source. Ammonia is a List II substance under both the Groundwater Directive (80/68/EEC) and the Dangerous Substance Directive (76/464/EEC). In addition the entry into groundwater and surface waters must be controlled under the Water Framework Directive.
Ammonia is a colourless gas, strongly alkaline and dissolves in water to form ammonium (NH4+): NH3(aq) + H2O(l) = NH4+(aq) + OH-(aq) Not all ammonia reacts, the percentage of unionised form (NH3) being related to the pH and temperature. Ammonium is the dominant form in most groundwater in the UK.
Working in collaboration, Parsons Brinckerhoff Limited (PB) and National Grid Property Holdings Limited (NGPH) investigated the differentiation between sources of ammonium in groundwater at former gasworks sites. NGPH commissioned PB to develop a robust model for identifying the source of ammonium with a view to understanding potential future environmental liability. The main sources of ammonium at a former gasworks site are areas associated with the production and storage of ammoniacal liquors and spent oxide. However, ammonium can be formed in groundwater from natural sources such as organic material (peat, coal), saline intrusion and anthropogenic sources. Anthropogenic sources include landfill leachate, leaking septic tank, sewers, sewage treatment works, cemeteries, spreading of slurry/manure and fertilizer runoff. In order to assess whether groundwater quality standards for ammonium will be attainable at a given site, and also to ascertain how best to achieve those standards, it is important to distinguish what proportion of ammonium in groundwater is attributable to gaswork, anthropogenic and natural sources. Using a combination of water quality modelling and the unique inclusion of nitrogen isotopes it is possible to evaluate sources of ammonium in groundwater. This was designed initially to solve a problem relating to a former ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
gasworks in London. The regulators were insisting that the client remediate the ammonium in groundwater at their site despite having already remediated soils at the site. The cost implications were in the region of £1M if they had to remediate the groundwater. PB pioneered a methodology which combined using nitrogen isotopes and groundwater quality modelling to investigate the source of ammonium at the site. The results demonstrated that the source of ammonium was not restricted to the gasworks (other sources included saline intrusion, peat deposits and sewage works) and it was agreed that active remediation of the ammonium was not required. Although nitrogen isotopes have been used to evaluate sources of nitrate to groundwater, this is the first study which uses nitrogen isotope ratios of ammonium to evaluate its source in groundwater. Following from the success of the original study, an understanding was developed of the sources of ammonium at eight former gasworks’ sites around England and Wales. This included a review of site hydrogeology, environmental setting, site history and remediation activities. This study included a number of steps to select the suitable sites (those where other sources of ammonium are possible in the vicinity of a former
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gasworks) and involved groundwater sampling. The results of the study concluded that when using nitrogen isotopes and groundwater quality modelling, it is possible to distinguish the source of ammonium in groundwater. Forensic studies do not only apply to ammonium. PB is currently undertaking a major study examining the chemical fingerprints and specific compound ratios (e.g. pristine/phytane) in oils and tars at former industrialised sites. The source characterisation of the hydrocarbons is seen as a major step forward in understanding liabilities at such sites.
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ALLU PM+PF STABILISATION SYSTEM In situ Mass Stabilisations of peat, clays, sludges and contaminated soils etc. t Processed contaminated soil by adding additivies and aerating t Stabilises: soft soil, clay, peat, sludge etc. into mass foundation t Includes: PM Power Mixer, PF Pressure Feeder & DAC. Data Acquisition Control System Greater efficiency Lower costs Environmentally friendly
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Raising the Standards in Brownfield Regeneration Matthew Whitehead, Process Technical Advisor at the Environment Agency and SiLC Skills Development Framework Manager, identifies the potential of the Specialist in Land Condition (SiLC) registration scheme to improve standards of brownfield regeneration. The United Kingdom has inherited a legacy of large-scale, man-made land contaminated from the Industrial Revolution. This legacy shows how lasting the impacts of bad industrial practises and industrial accidents can be on the environment and communities. The Environment Agency now regulates industries to reduce future pollution but the legacy of historical contamination remains. Cleaning up contaminated land is not a simple business – it takes time and money but has huge environmental, economic and social benefits. Developing on remediated brownfield sites also takes the pressure off uncontaminated land such as fields and farmland, which is good news for wildlife and people. In order to address the problems of contaminated land, it’s necessary for all interested parties, both public and private sector to work together. The SiLC registration scheme brings together professionals from widespread backgrounds who represent the most experienced and able individuals currently working within the brownfield sector. SiLC status is regarded as a qualification which demonstrates a high degree of experience, competence and skill amongst registered practitioners advising on land condition matters. This is illustrated by the continuing rise in demand for the services of registered SiLCs. For example, the use of SiLCs is already cited in planning guidance, it is a requirement for specific areas of project work for some Government agencies, and significantly, it is now being requested by some commercial organisations and financial institutions for contract pre-qualification purposes. There is no doubt that the land regeneration sector has matured significantly over the last decade under the governance of improved environmental regulations, guidance and the scrutiny of environmental regulators and Local Authorities. The SiLC registration scheme has also gone some way towards highlighting the need for quality within the reclamation industry. However, there is still some way to go if we are to continue to solve the problems of contaminated land in a safe, yet economically sustainable manner. There is a need to identify better ways of working together and, more specifically, better ways of regulation.
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We need to regulate the reclamation industry in a way that is robust and ensures that all projects are carried out safely with all parties being aware of their legal responsibilities and taking responsibility for their actions. However, in order to increase efficiency, a balance must also be struck that allows regulatory resources to be deployed on the basis of risk, whereby public resources are concentrated on scrutinising those activities that have the greatest propensity for harming our environment. Against this backdrop there is an opportunity for accountable practitioners, such as SiLCs, to manage and implement better quality control and assurance procedures. This could free up time for regulatory authorities to concentrate on scrutinising the more technically challenging aspects of remedial proposals. This would also allow regulatory authorities to enforce legislation (when necessary) so that the environment and health are protected and that polluters pay for any damage that’s been caused. This does not necessarily mean that an individual SiLC is expected to be a technical expert in all the disciplines required as part of a land regeneration project but rather the SiLC ensures that relevant QA/QC procedures are appropriately applied throughout the assessment and implementation process. In this capacity, the SiLC would ensure that only competent practitioners, who have the appropriate skills and experience, are involved in undertaking specific assessments. They would also ensure that the documents have undergone peer review and from this, that any conclusions and recommendations made are reasonable and Image by klsmith 77 ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
supported by accurate factual data. Such responsibility would of course be accompanied by an auditable process accountable to the regulatory authorities and a complaint and disciplinary process administered by the SiLC governing body. The importance of the SiLC scheme and the credibility to deliver such ‘sign off’ products comes through the strong ethical code of conduct by which all SiLCs must abide. Government advisory panels and other organisations serving the sector have long identified a need for competent professionals dealing with a wide range of technical issues. As such, there is a role for professionals involved in the land reclamation sector in ensuring higher quality standards are delivered across the industry. This can be done most effectively by supporting the SiLC scheme, which has the potential to deliver these aims. The Environment Agency fully supports the work done by the SiLC scheme and its increased focus on improving standards within the land regeneration sector. As such we are supporting the SiLC scheme in the derivation of a Skills Development Framework. A public consultation on this framework will be taking place later this year. More information on the SiLC scheme is available at www.silc.org.uk More information on the Environment Agency’s role in tackling the problems of contaminated land is available at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/contamniatedland.
a lot of hot air ... or steam, very hot steam, injected under pressure into the ground in order to flush contaminants from treatment areas. This highly innovative technique is only part of our full remediation service, which also includes radio frequency heating - another form of in-situ soil
heating which uses an antenna to heat soils to in excess of 100˚C, creating more efficient treatment times. We provide many other flexible solutions which best meet your needs, designed for efficiency, cost effectiveness and minimal environmental impact.
Call Ecologia now: +44 (0)1795 471611 or visit: www.ecologia-environmental.com TEL +44 (0)1795 471611 FAX +44 (0)1795 430314
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Aquatic Invasive Species Problems and Solutions Dr Jonathan Newman
Head, Aquatic Plant Management Group, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology The European Commission has stated that invasive species are the second biggest threat to biodiversity after habitat destruction. The US Government estimate that invasive species cost about $130 billion every year in lost native resources, control costs, increased fire risk and loss of ecosystem “goods and services”. The direct financial impact of aquatic invasive species in the UK is probably somewhere between £5m and £10m a year, but when the impacts of other terrestrial species are included, such as Japanese Knotweed, Himalayan Balsam and Giant Hogweed, this is probably nearer £75m - £100m. The UK is considered lucky in terms of the impact that aquatic invasive species (AIS) cause here. In other parts of the world aquatic plants prevent fishermen in Central Africa from feeding their families; they harbour mosquitoes and snails that transmit bilharzia; they cover shallow lakes and dry out scarce drinking water supplies due to increased evapo-transpiration by the plants. Every aquatic invasive plant species we have in Europe has arrived because of trade. Since the arrival of Canadian pondweed as a fragment on a log from Canada in the 1830s, this species has spread to most of north and central Europe, although in the UK it is now considered as more desirable than some others that have followed it. Direct horticultural trade in aquatic plants has lead to the introduction of many interesting and useful aquatic and marginal plants. But, unfortunately, some species have escaped from captivity, established in the wild and become nuisance species. In addition to this, we have a peculiar habit in this country of spreading aquatic plants around. When a weed takes over your garden you dig it up and burn it or compost it. When an aquatic plant takes over the pond, we tend to remove it and take it to the nearest pond or canal, where it can have more space, more nutrients and start to cause problems. Recent research by Dr Nigel Willby at Stirling University has shown that it is very difficult to predict where AIS will thrive and survive because their current distribution is just as much influenced by disturbance of the catchment ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
as the nutrient concentration in the water. Defined native plant assemblages stick to conditions which suit them in terms of nutrient loading, water velocity, geology and altitude, but non-native species take advantage of any areas where any type of disturbance has occurred. Disturbance can include point source and diffuse pollution, damming, canalisation and even overstocking with fish. As scientists involved with managing aquatic invasive species, we are faced with a number of difficult conditions: we do not know which species will become invasive with any degree of certainty; we do not know where they will establish first; we cannot predict what impacts, if any, they will have on native ecosystems as impacts in different sites are usually unique to that site. Although there are between 30 and 40 aquatic species that are of concern now, and could become problematic in the near future, we are limited to working on those which have already become problematic in UK systems. There are only five species which attract sufficient interest at the moment to warrant research funding: Crassula helmsii , Australian Swamp Stonecrop; Myriophyllum aquaticum Parrot’s Feather (although all non-native Myriophyllum species pose a very serious risk to UK aquatic ecosystems); Hydrocotyle ranunculoides, Floating Pennywort; Lagarosiphon major Curly Water Thyme or Curly Waterweed; and Ludwigia grandiflora, Water primrose. At the time these species were brought into the UK there was no means of assessing if they would be a problem. Now we have a good risk assessment system and a proposed banned species list based on knowledge of the behaviour of many different species from all over the world. The huge increase in global trade of plants grown specifically for aquaria and ponds has meant that we needed such a system to prevent any further costs being incurred in management of new species and more ecological damage being done to our already disturbed habitats. Australian Swamp Stonecrop probably occurs in about 30,000 ponds excluding gardens in the UK. This species is
very difficult to control in the absence of diquat, which was banned for aquatic use in Europe in 2004. Mechanical control just spreads it around and there is no really effective non-chemical method of control. Parrot’s Feather was the favourite aquatic plant of many a TV gardener for quite some time and its recent rapid spread is a direct result of this unfortunate promotion. It is relatively easy to control using aquatic approved formulations of glyphosate and control is enhanced by using the only aquatic approved adjuvant TopFilm, which sticks the herbicide to the feathery and water repellent leaves. Mechanical removal can spread fragments but this is a more practical method for this species than many others. Floating Pennywort now occupies over 100 sites in the UK. Where it occurs in small ponds it is relatively easy to manage and has been successfully eradicated from a few small sites. However, it has a nasty habit of getting into slow flowing drainage systems and canals, where it can form very dense mats that cover the surface of the water, preventing navigation and fishing, cattle drinking, blocking sluices and weirs and even demolishing wooden bridges. From a single site it has spread to over 50 km of the River Soar in Leicestershire in under three years. It now covers most of the western part of the Pevensey Levels in Sussex, an extremely rare type of protected habitat, and has caused major problems and blockages of the canal network in the Midlands. Curly Water Thyme is a bigger threat to inland lakes and reservoirs than Canadian Pondweed. It has the capacity to out-compete all other Elodea species, simplifying the plant population structure and having immense knock on effects on invertebrates and fish. It is an extremely efficient plant that grows all year round. It removes virtually all of the dissolved carbon from the water, raising the pH to 10.4 in most waterbodies. The only species that can live with this type of ecological engineering are algae, so the end result of an invasion by Lagarosiphon is a habitat with only two or three species at most. This is the ultimate loss of biodiversity
threatened by the European Commission. Water primrose is a showy plant with striking deep rich flowers. However, it also excludes many native species and dominates marginal flora water up to 3m deep. Water primrose has almost been eradicated from the wild by the judicious use of approved herbicides and early intervention combined with rapid response to reports of this species. It still remains in garden ponds and other ornamental plantings but little can be done in these situations. It is bound to escape again in the future and a careful watch should be kept for it. This species is a major problem in France, Belgium and Holland. New species of aquatic plants arrive every day in the UK without sufficient understanding of what they could do to native habitats. The new risk assessment system is a vast improvement over what was in place before but there are so many native aquatic plant species that provide similar effects to those being imported that we need to persuade aquarists and pond owners that native is best for plants, insects, fish and people. Diverse ecosystems tolerate disturbance, including climate change effects, to a much greater extent than weakened, invaded habitats. Please remember when you are next at the garden centre buying pond plants, keep it native!
Ecological Land Management delivers conservation and wildlife protection services, including the control of invasive weeds. We have experience of eradicating these plants from sensitive wildlife sites. Please contact us to discuss this or any www.elm.uk.net other conservation requirements you Mobile: 07960 570777 may have. ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Elcot Environmental - Japanese Knotweed Specialists Elcot offers: UK wide
Site Survey, Report and Fixed Cost, Knotweed Management Plan, providing site wide “Duty of Care”.
To Enable Site Construction within 2 - 3 weeks if required: Herbicide treatment Controlled dig to minimise arisings
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Japanese Knotweed The public’s awareness of Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia Japonica) in the UK has heightened significantly over the last number of years, not only as a result of the increased prevalence but also due to recent media attention, in particular in connection with the proposal to introduce a tiny louse which is one of the few natural enemies of Knotweed. The ease by which Knotweed can be spread, the extent of its underground rhizome system and the damage it can cause are well known in environmental circles. However, less well appreciated, certainly by the general public, are the legal implications which Knotweed brings with it. There is various legislation in place which regulates and controls the disposal and planting of Knotweed. Section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it an offence to plant or otherwise cause Knotweed to grow in the wild. However, as stated in the Environment Agency Knotweed Code of Practice, “It is not an offence to have Knotweed on your land and it is not a notifiable weed”. It is generally thought that private land and in particular gardens do not come within the definition of wild. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 all Knotweed material (and soil containing Knotweed) is classed as controlled waste and must be disposed of at a licensed landfill site under codes of practice.
Robert Twining is a partner at Warners Solicitors and an acknowledged specialist in his field of litigation.
There are also powers under the Town and Country Planning Act which empower local authorities to require landowners to treat the land if it detracts from local amenities and that could include situations where Knotweed is present on ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
the land. The Town and Country Planning Act is often used by local planning authorities by way of planning conditions to force developers to treat sites infested with Knotweed. These and other statutory material give rise to potential criminal prosecutions. However, as between private landowners (or those with a proprietary interest in the land), where Knotweed moves from one parcel of land to another the relevant law is that of private nuisance. Put simply, a private nuisance is an act or omission which is an interference with, disturbance of or annoyance to a person in the exercise or enjoyment of his ownership or occupation of land. The scope of nuisance extends to include encroachment onto neighbouring land such as in the case of overhanging tree branches and tree roots which transgress the boundary. A nuisance can be abated by self help remedies in simple cases such as lopping and returning overhanging branches. However, given the underground complexity of Knotweed rhizome it is almost certainly going to be the case that a landowner will need to require his neighbour to effectively treat Knotweed on the neighbour’s land in order to abate the nuisance and solve the problem. In the event of a neighbour failing to cooperate, a legal action may be commenced seeking various remedies including damages equating to the cost of treatment and possibly diminution in value of his land and injunctions enforcing the neighbour to carry out specific methods of treatment. Indeed, the granting of injunctions (which is a discretionary remedy) in nuisance cases, is generally the appropriate remedy. In encroachment cases no actual damage needs to be proved in order to bring a claim for nuisance. Damage is presumed but that in itself does not make someone necessarily liable in nuisance. Whilst it is difficult to imagine a claim in nuisance relating to encroachment of Knotweed failing on the basis that its spread to neighbouring property was not foreseeable, it is still necessary for the landowner to have knowledge of the nuisance/encroachment or that he should reasonably be expected to have notice (imputed knowledge). It is therefore important that a landowner puts his neighbour on notice in writing as soon as encroachment occurs. In some cases involving derelict land an owner may not be aware of the presence of Knotweed on his land. A landowner must take reasonable steps to prevent a nuisance – what those steps are could ultimately be for a Court to decide in any particular set of circumstances. A landowner is best advised to follow closely the guidance set out in the Environment Agency Knotweed Code of Practice. If he does he stands a good chance of successfully defending a claim brought against him on the basis that what he is doing to prevent the nuisance is reasonable. Whether a party is liable depends on whether there is an omission on their part to comply with their duty to take reasonable steps to prevent the nuisance. ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
It is unlikely that strict liability would apply under the Rylands v Fletcher principle making the “guilty” landowner liable irrespective of whether the loss is foreseeable or the steps that have been taken to prevent the nuisance from occurring are reasonable, as that principle generally applies to “things” which are dangerous. In circumstances where the Knotweed is planted by a landowner, and it spreads to neighbouring property, a landowner’s liability is very likely to arise simply by reason of the positive act of planting. It follows such claim will probably be much easier to establish, being a simple question of fact rather than the more difficult question of omitting to act reasonably in remedying the problem. Where a nuisance is naturally occurring, and there is a good argument that Knotweed is naturally occurring when it is not intentionally planted, the duty is arguably more subjective and may depend on the capabilities and resources of the landowner. Factors to be taken into account may include the extent of the spread, the likely damage and the cost of the treatment. Therefore, if the spread is limited and not likely to affect physical structures or cause financial loss a Court is much more likely to find that herbicide treatment, for example, is reasonable as opposed to offsite removal (“dig and dump”) which could cost very substantially more.
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It is also arguable that a landowner’s financial means is relevant in determining whether the steps he has taken to deal with the problem have been reasonable and therefore affords him a defence. Where Knotweed spreads from land A to land B and then to land C, although the owner of land B may be liable to the owner of land C he may be able to claim an indemnity from the owner of land A. A landowner can be liable for allowing nuisance to continue even if he did not create it and came after it was established. Therefore a purchaser of land should always have the land properly surveyed before buying because although he would not be responsible for past damage he will be responsible for continuing damage and, given the likely claim against him for an injunction, the cost of its treatment. Equally a seller could remain liable for damage caused prior to the date of sale and further, guilty of a misrepresentation to a buyer if he has not responded correctly to any pre-contract enquiries concerning the presence of nuisance. Conversely, a buyer can seek remedies for nuisance caused prior to his purchase if the nuisance is continuing, which in the case of Knotweed is likely. Whilst the expression neighbour/landowner has been used in this article, a person may bring a claim or may be subject to a claim if they have a proprietary interest in the land, generally as a result of them owning the land or
being a tenant of it. As a nuisance is a legal tort, damages do not extend to pure economic loss. Therefore it is probably the case that loss of development value, for example, cannot be claimed. As stated above however, the primary remedy would be injunctive relief and the Court may well take into account the innocent party’s intentions with regard to the infected land when specifying what the appropriate treatment to order should be. In the case of landlords and tenants, depending on the wording of the lease and also on whether Japanese Knotweed was present when the lease was entered into, a tenant may find himself unwittingly liable to his landlord under the terms of the lease to have any Knotweed on the demised property treated or removed. Further, a landlord may remain liable to third parties where he has let a property but retained some control, for example through covenants within the lease but has not taken steps to require the tenant to prevent the spread of any Knotweed. As is always the case, prevention is better than cure. Knotweed in most cases can be treated effectively and often relatively quickly despite its reputation (and without recourse to the louse – what would it eat once it has had its fill on Knotweed?). Any landowner should therefore seek immediate advice from specialists as soon as they are aware or made aware of the presence of Knotweed to avoid what could turn into an extremely costly and complicated piece of litigation in which the decision of the Court will not usually be easy to predict.
Japanese Knotweed is back!!! Japanese Knotweed is a serious and detrimental problem for developers, builders and home owners throughout the UK. Currently it is estimated that the cost of eradicating Japanese Knotweed in its entirety from the whole of the United Kingdom would be approximately £1.56 billion. Frequently developers have no alternative option but to use the traditional instant, on the spot solution of excavation known as “Dig and Dump, which whilst being effective, is usually an extremely costly resolution. To overcome the expensive financial hurdle of “Dig and Dump” ECS have developed our groundbreaking Spoil to Soil technology, which in addition to providing instant, on the spot Japanese Knotweed eradication has the added benefit of producing as an end product Japanese Knotweed free soil. This soil can remain on site to be re used. Financially Spoil to Soil technology makes sense, there are no expensive transport and landfill costs incurred by the client, because the soil remains on site. The huge advantage Spoil to Soil technology has over “Dig and Dump” is that it enables the client to meet the necessary criteria to claim for on site remediation tax rebates. Under the Governments new on site remediation tax relief
incentives up to 42% of the total remediation costs can be claimed back by the client. Alternatively, if immediate eradication is not a requirement ECS’s singleseason in-situ herbicidal eradication programme enables ECS to eradicate Japanese Knotweed in one growing season. This method is ideal for use when early planning of Japanese Knotweed eradication has been taken into consideration. It has the advantage of being the most economical eradication solution and also carries with it the option to claim back up to 42% tax relief. ECS are the market leaders in the eradication of Japanese Knotweed. Put your Japanese knotweed problems into the experienced and professional hands of ECS and the seemingly unsolvable will be capably and efficiently solved by us, giving you the peace of mind of guaranteed eradication and at a timescale and budget tailor made to your requirements.
if you have problems with Japanese Knotweed or want any more information, please contact
ECS – Eco Control solutions tel: 01924 474555.
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Environment Agency prosecutions CASE 1: Skip company didn’t get away with it
CASE 5: Environment Agency clips Red Bull’s wings
Birmingham skip hire company and its director were sentenced on the 31st July for carrying out an illegal waste. Both the company and director pleaded guilty at an earlier date to 6 charges, 3 against the company and 3 against the director. The company director received a 4 month suspended custodial sentence for each charge, to run concurrently. He also received 150 hours unpaid work, disqualification from being a company director for 5 years and ordered to pay costs of £3,000, along with a £15 victim surcharge. Just Skips Ltd of 84 Wood Lane, Erdington was ordered to pay a total of £300 in fines.
The Red Bull Company Limited was ordered to pay a record sum of £271,800 on 27 July 2009 after failing to recover and recycle packaging waste.
CASE 2: Enforcement action taken against Sellafield On the 3rd August 2009, Sellafield Ltd was issued with an enforcement notice by the Environment Agency, in relation to a leak of radioactive liquid which was reported in January 2009. Although the leak caused no impact to the environment or local people, the Environment Agency has taken action to ensure this does not happen again.
The soft drinks importer pleaded guilty to charges of failing to register with the Environment Agency as a producer of packaging waste and charges of failing to meet its requirements to recover and recycle packaging waste with respect to each of the eight years between 1999 and 2006. The company was fined £261,278.00 and ordered to pay £3,755 in costs to the Environment Agency. The company was ordered to pay compensation of £6,854 to the Environment Agency for unpaid registration fees for the years 1999 to 2006 inclusive.
CASE 6: Southern Water fined for major fish kill The Environment Agency prosecuted Southern Water for causing untreated sewage to escape from a pumping station for a period of over 14 hours last year killing hundreds of fish in a New Forest river. The company pleaded guilty to the offence and was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay costs totalling £3,575.
CASE 3: Stinks to high heaven, says the Environment Agency Veolia was fined for a consistent breach in conditions at the High Heavens Composting Facility in High Wycombe between June and December 2006. Veolia pleaded guilty to breaching the odour condition of their permit at High Heavens Composting Facility. The company was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay costs to the Environment Agency of £14,737.
CASE 4: Owner of holiday park fined for waste offences A Bodmin businessman has been ordered to pay £7,815 in fines and costs for dumping and burning waste at a holiday park at Lanivet, Cornwall. On November 19 2008, Agency officers visited Lakeview Country Club to investigate a report of waste being illegally disposed of at the site. They were accompanied by an officer from North Cornwall District Council that had received a complaint and photographs showing waste burning.
CASE 7: Fines for hazardous waste danger Two businesses have been fined a total of £20,000 after hazardous waste residue was left in storage drums sent to a scrap yard. Waste disposal business UK Resource Management Limited (UKRM) was fined a total of £15,000 and ordered to pay £4,750 prosecution costs after accepting it had acted with gross negligence. William Blythe Limited (Wm Blythe), was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £4,750 prosecution costs.
CASE 8: Developers fined for sewage pollution The consortium of Allison Homes Eastern Ltd, Persimmon Homes (East Midlands) Ltd and Stamford Homes Ltd pleaded guilty at Grantham Magistrates’ Court to causing the pollution of a stream on a new housing development in April 2008 and each was fined £8,000 and ordered to share full Agency costs of £2,208.
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EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT
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Stephen Scales, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds
Are industrial endeavour and Higher Education compatible and in fact do they need to be? Well they might not always seem compatible. Often the research intensive universities are accused of being difficult to work with, lacking focus and doing what they want rather than what the market needs. This then leaves industry and commerce wondering, ‘Why would we wish to place our trust and the success of our business plans in the hands of ‘academic thinkers’ rather than ‘doers’, when we can get by very well without them?’ The question of whether they really can get by without them is no more important than in the environment sector.
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The world is changing and has been for millions of years, whether through natural processes or the influence of human activity. From volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and hurricanes to civil unrest, droughts and pollution, we face more and more problems than ever before and these must be addressed to avoid devastating consequences.
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We are constantly expanding our cultural horizons, building greater cities and demanding more and more from the earth’s resources in order to sustain our developing lifestyles. It is now abundantly clear that we are living in a world that has changed and is still changing as a result of man’s influence on the environment. If we are to minimise the consequences of our actions we need to find ways to manage the impact of these changes and provide sustainable solutions to our continuing development. There is also a need to limit the impact of the changing environment on our lives. So how do we cope with climate change? What can be done to minimise the impact of earthquakes and cyclones? Where will our energy come from in the future? How can we sustain our developing lifestyle?
Knowledge remains our most powerful defence against both natural and human disasters and the answers to all the above questions lie in the hands of future generations of earth scientists, geographers, hydrologists, meteorologists and environmental specialists. There is a need for skilled workforces armed with the knowledge and skills in sustainability, conservation and environmental management, as business strives to curb pollution, and legislation creates a need for consultants to advise on good practice and develop environmental strategies. Government statistics show that this is the fastest growing sector in the UK economy, with expertise required in private sector companies, consultancies and Government bodies in the areas of water supply, waste disposal, pollution control, land quality/remediation, environmental monitoring and assessment. Knowledge is the business of our universities. They are powerhouses of research, with access to global networks of intellectual communities, across a wide range of disciplines. Huge sums of money are invested each year to extend our knowledge base and to find answers to a whole range of questions. They have become world renowned for the quality of the education they provide and their research strength. Universities have, however, had some bad press of late with question marks raised over the quality of the education they are providing, the soaraway rise in degree classifications, the lack of employment skills they deliver and perhaps, more worryingly, being accused of not providing sufficient graduates in key STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subject areas. Rising unemployment and uncertain career prospects combined with the burden of student debt are causing prospective students to re-consider their options and potentially desert traditional Higher Education, which leaves our universities looking financially very vulnerable. The prospect of losing our Higher Education system or seeing a drop in quality is unthinkable, particularly if it impacts our ability to understand and manage the changing environment in which we live. It is vital that they retain their research strengths and focus on the key issues that affect our environment but it is equally important to ensure that they disseminate and share that knowledge effectively. Whilst it may not be immediately obvious to the outside world that things are changing in our universities, they are starting to show an increased appetite for sharing their knowledge, adopting business-like working practices and addressing ‘the big issues’ of global significance. Business is also changing with ever increasing pressures to cut costs, improve productivity and innovate. Industry needs access to knowledge and a skilled workforce to survive and meet the challenges they face, whilst universities need to create and disseminate knowledge effectively to survive. It becomes clear they have a need for each other and that the benefits to the challenges posed by our changing
environment are incalculable. There are currently not enough graduates, with the skills required by employers, to manage the rate of change that our environment is experiencing, nor to mitigate its likely impact. We need to encourage more students to study relevant subjects at university and to provide them with an education which leads to a fulfilling career, which can only be done through collaboration with industry. The current financial turmoil in world markets may actually help to bring industry and academia closer together with both sectors feeling the strain as income streams dry up. This may be the right time for these two sectors to engage more closely together in partnerships which help to develop and deliver knowledge for the benefit of both. We have no choice - industry and Higher Education must work together, with common aims and focused policies, if we are to effectively manage our changing world. It has been said that 90% of what we will know in 50 years time will be discovered in those 50 years. We just need to make sure that what we know is worth knowing!
Sustainable Growth Company We advise and support top management on sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Our solutions are focused on competitive advantage, building commitment, compliance, the development of competencies and the effective use of systems and IT. SGC also presents the IEMA Approved Advanced EMS Auditor Course. Unlike most other courses of this type, all our courses feature a real audit of a facility. The course dates include: 21-25 September 2009 in London 19-23 October 2009 in Aberdeen (Oil and Gas specific 18-22 January 2010 in London
Our other services include: Product life cycle assessment Ethical Trading Sustainability reporting Carbon Footprint System and compliance audits Identification of environmental legal requirements. We are a Carbon Trust Standard Accredited Assessor.
Web: www.sustainablegrowth.co.uk Email: ted.rosser@sustainablegrowth.co.uk Telephone: 01484 681796 ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
WIND TURBINES – EFFECTIVE, AFFORDABLE AND EFFICIENT Pete Allen, CEO, Evance
With energy costs on the rise, environmental pressure increasing and the price of technology decreasing, a growing number of businesses are considering the use of wind turbines to power their offices, warehouses or work sites. The UK boasts more than a dozen UK based manufacturers of wind turbines offering a wide range of different turbines, sizes, power outputs and designs. There are three main types of wind turbines – micro, small and big. Micro-wind turbines typically have a diameter of less than two metres and are mounted directly to the side or the top of a building, often in towns and cities. There is considerable debate about how efficient these turbines actually are. But both the Encraft Warwick micro-wind trials earlier this year and the Energy Savings Trust Domestic Small Scale Wind Field Trial Report indicate that their performance is often overrated, and sites in built up areas deliver poor results. A major factor is that the wind in cities and towns will be interrupted and blocked by buildings. The wind around buildings is also more turbulent, which decreases energy yield significantly and increases the forces on the turbine structure considerably. Big wind describes the utility sized wind turbines that are built on the coastal, hilly and mountainous regions across Europe. The multi-million investment required for these turbines make them unaffordable for even the biggest businesses. Small wind Small wind turbines are most suited for use by businesses which are either connected to mains electricity supply (On-grid) or alternatively using diesel generators or batteries (Off-grid). Typically with rotor diameters of between 2 and 20 metres, small wind turbines are set on free standing towers 9 to 30 metres high, and have rated capacities of 3.5kW to 100kW. There has been a lot of debate over the last three years over the benefits of the two main types of small wind turbine designs – horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) and vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT). I have to admit to being a little biased on this debate as Evance only manufactures horizontal axis turbines. Theoretically vertical axis wind turbines can be as efficient as horizontal but in engineering reality they are considerably less efficient. This is because the aerodynamics cannot be optimised with the blades being both upwind and downwind during ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
one revolution. The forces on the turbine are also more severe, being ‘cyclic’, and energy is often consumed ‘motoring’ these turbines during start-up. To put both designs in context, there are no vertical axis turbines being used in big wind to generate utility levels of electricity. Installation The key piece of information for any business considering installing a wind turbine is the average wind speed for the business’ location. The Carbon Trust launched a new online service in March this year - the Wind Yield Estimation Tool - which allows UK businesses to estimate their annual mean wind speed and the annual yield and carbon savings of a small wind turbine. Having ascertained that the average wind speed is viable and identified the sort of savings that could be made, there is a structured process that needs to be followed to ensure that the right turbine and tower are selected. The turbine needs to be properly sited and planning permission gained, along with a suitable grid connection. This may sound like a tricky process to negotiate but an experienced turbine distributor such as Segen will be able to provide practical support and guidance at every step of the way. ROI When calculating whether a wind turbine will be economically viable three issues need to be taken into consideration. Firstly, what is the actual energy output that the turbine will deliver? Traditionally many of the energy claims of manufacturers were more hopeful than accurate but British and international standards, including IEC and the BWEA Small Wind Systems Performance Standard, now provide reliable benchmarks for energy output. Plus, by the end of this year all turbines will need to meet the criteria set down by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) which has been designed to provide reassurance to consumers that both products and installers meet robust quality and performance criteria. Secondly, there is of course the cost of equipment and installation. Thirdly, and having increasing importance, customers must consider the available economical incentives which vary considerably from market to market – feed in tariffs, tax credits, grants and other tax based elements.
In the UK, public sector and not-for-profit organisations can get Government grants of up to 50% of the turbine’s cost. Domestic customers can receive a grant of £2,500 and there are also grants for farmers which vary by region. Plus, turbine owners can earn around 10p per kWh produced (whether consumed by the owner or not) under the Renewable Obligation Certificate scheme until April 2010. After April 2010 a new programme of feed-in tariffs will transform small wind turbine economics by paying owners for each unit of electricity generated. These payments will be in addition to the financial benefits of displacing grid
electricity and selling excess energy back to the grid. In the UK, the proposed payment is 23p per unit for turbines between 1.5kW and 15kW, and all systems installed from now will qualify. This is expected to bring the biggest single change in small wind turbine economics since the sector was created and can reduce payback to under 5 years, with 15 years of profitable use thereafter. It has never been a better time to investigate adding a wind turbine to your company’s assets, both as an economic investment and to visibly promote commitment to environmental issues.
ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
BWEA31
• • • •
3,000+ delegates 100 speakers 200+ exhibitors Networking & social events
Join us at BWEA31, the UK renewable energy industry’s annual three day conference and learn more about sector developments and exciting opportunities for your company.
TM
ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Register today www.bwea31.com
: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE By Nick Medic, BWEA Head of Communications
BWEA’s annual conferences (Offshore, Wave and Tidal, Health and Safety…) have established themselves as the key events in the UK’s renewable energy calendar but none more so than the Association’s main event, the BWEA Annual Conference and Exhibiton, this year billed as BWEA31. The ‘31’ refers to the long tradition of this conference and exhibition. Since the British Wind Energy Association was formed in 1978, the membership and industry have met 30 times, with Liverpool’s ACC being the 31st venue to hold this now distinguished event. The popularity of the event and its significance for the industry follows the growth of the wind, wave and tidal energy sector in the UK and the increased role for BWEA as the champion of the industry in Britain. BWEA’s corporate membership has grown from 320 to over 500 members in the last two years alone, solidifying its reputation as the country’s leading renewable energy trade association. In October 2008 BWEA30, held at the Excel Centre London from the 21st - 23rd October, was significant for BWEA in many ways: it was the 30th anniversary conference, the biggest so far with over 2,500 delegates in attendance and the first to be addressed by the Prime Minister. The recorded video message by PM Gordon Brown was reported by many of the journalists present at the conference and ensured a high media profile for the event over all three days. It was the latest in a series of conferences which started from humble beginnings in small academic meetings, often held in university lecture theatres, and which then developed into the huge international conferences our delegates have become accustomed to in the past few years. The first British Wind Energy Association conference took place in April 1979 and attracted 99 delegates largely from academic institutions and engineering companies. This was a very "learned" affair with much of the debate focused on technical specifications of turbines. Topics discussed included a debate on: which commercially produced D.C. motors were most efficient for turbines, those from hedge trimmers or Phillips washing machines? The most advanced turbine at the time could produce a peak power of 450kW from its 30 metre dual blade design and was designed by ERA & The Wind Power Group. Issue no.1 of the British Wind Energy Association’s newsletter flagged up the first ever BWEA conference in these words:
“Planned activities include an annual Wind Energy Workshop, the first of which will be held on April 19th and 20th, 1979, at Cranfield (and the first AGM of the BWEA will be at Cranfield on the afternoon of April 20th). The annual Wind Energy Workshops will include invited review papers, but their main function will be to provide members (and non-members) with a regular opportunity for presenting technical papers detailing their plans and their progress. It will also provide an opportunity for people to meet informally and exchange ideas. Arrangements are being made for proceedings of the annual workshops to be published, and a preliminary call for papers for the first BWEA Wind Energy Workshop will be found elsewhere in this newsletter.” Ten years on at BWEA 10, the conference had doubled in size. Two hundred delegates met at the headquarters of the CEGB to look back on the last 10 years of BWEA alongside the future of wind power. In these ten years, significant advances had been made in technology and the evolution of offshore wind farms had begun. The Department of Energy at the time was in the process of building the first offshore wind turbine with the capacity of 750kW and a whole new sector in the renewable energy industry was born. Such rapid growth has been continuous, both in terms of BWEA events and the industry as a whole. The British Wind Energy Association's 18th Annual Conference was opened by the President of the Council of BWEA and former Energy Minister, the Rt Hon Colin Moynihan, MP, and included presentations by invited international speakers on a range of contemporary issues. The opening speech: Wind energy - the DTI view, was given by Godfrey Bevan. Subjects covered in the presentations included: electricity markets, environmental and public relations, integration, wind turbine design, noise and wind farm performance/design. Speakers included Goran Strbac, now Professor at Imperial College in London and David Milborrow, an independent energy consultant. BWEA20, held at Cardiff University, further illustrates the huge leaps the renewables industry had made. Although delegates at the time were staying in halls of residence, BWEA20 attracted 75 corporate members from many of the world's largest energy companies alongside Government speakers. The presence of Mr. John Battle, ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
MP, formerly Minister for Science, Energy and Industry in the Department of Trade and Industry, Liberal Democrat MP Andrew Stunnell and Cynog Dafis MP, alongside top representatives from across the industry, helped to establish the British Wind Energy Association events as an essential platform to assist development across the industry as a whole. The conference was followed within the next few years with a series of landmarks in the history of wind energy in the UK. The first commercial wind farm was commissioned at Delabole in Cornwall in 1991. The industry was poised for spectacular growth, both internationally and in the UK – we now have approximately 4GW domestically and over 100GW in total worldwide. By BWEA29, held in Glasgow in 2007, around 1,600 senior
industry delegates from as far as Australia, India, the US and Bahrain attended, including high profile speakers such as Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks, Minister of State for Energy, Jim Mathers MSP, and Reijo Kemppinen, Head of the European Commission Representation in the UK. Over 120 companies exhibited. Fast forward to this year and Liverpool’s Arena and Convention Centre: three days of conference presentations, panel debates, networking and industry events and the most comprehensive exhibition of wind, wave and tidal technology in the UK. Around 3,000 people getting together in Liverpool to share experiences, network and do business. It’s a sector set for phenomenal growth in the next decade and an event not to be missed! See you at BWEA31.
BWEA31 Programme Summary Day One | Tuesday 20 October 2009 Time
Main Auditorium (Hall 1A)
Parallel 1 (Hall 1B)
08.00
Parallel 2 (Hall 1C)
Coffee & registration
09.00 – 10.15
Opening Session
No session
Overarching National Policy Debate: Delivering the Renewable Energy Strategy
Health & Safety: Embedding Safety into our Industry
13.30 – 14.00
Politician Keynote Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP
No session
14.15 – 15.30
Onshore Plenary – 2020 an International Perspective
Offshore Grid - Connecting in a New Regime
10.45 – 12.00
Closed
Coffee break
12.00 – 13.30
Open Technical I: Wind Resource & Monitoring
Open
No session
Closed
Small & Micro-Wind I
Open
Lunch & exhibition
15.30 – 16.15 16.15 – 17.30
Open No session
10.15 – 10.45
Open
Coffee break Round 3 – Making it Happen
Onshore 2 (EIA issues)
Exhibition
Open Open
Small & Micro-Wind II
17.30 – 19.00
Exhibitors reception
Open
19.30 – 22.00
Conference reception
Closed
Day Two | Wednesday 21 October 2009 Time
Main Auditorium (Hall 1A)
Parallel 1 (Hall 1B)
08.00
Parallel 2 (Hall 1C)
Coffee & registration
09.00 – 09.30
Politician Keynote
No session
09.45 – 11.00
Wave & Tidal Plenary
Onshore 3 – Planning Reforms
11.00 – 11.30 11.30 – 12.45
Open No session
Closed
Supply Chain
Open
Coffee break Aviation Plenary – Annual Review – Delivering the Aviation Plan
Scotland
Open Financing Workshop
12.45 – 14.00
Lunch & exhibition
13.00 – 14.00
Exhibition
Open Open
Corporate Social Responsibility (lunchtime session)
14.00 – 14.30
Politician Keynote
No session
No session
Closed
14.45 – 15.45
Skills, Education & Employment
Offshore Wind Case Studies
Wave & Tidal 2 – Progress Update
Open
15.45 – 16.15 16.15 – 17.30
Coffee break Accessible and Smart? A Grid for the 21st Century
Innovation and R&D
19.30 – 00.00
Open General Election Panel Debate
Gala Dinner
Open Closed
Day Three | Thursday 22 October 2009 Time
Main Auditorium (Hall 1A)
Parallel 1 (Hall 1B)
09.30
Parallel 2 (Hall 1C)
Coffee & registration
10.30 – 11.45
Building an Offshore Industry Plenary
Aviation Issues and Mitigation
12.00 – 13.30
Exhibition and Careers fair Open
COWRIE
Lunch & exhibition
Open Open
13.30 – 14.45
Stakeholder Panel Debate: Global vs. Local
Operating for Profit
Technical 2 – Wind Farm Performance
Open
15.00 – 15.30
Closing session
No session
No session
Closed
15:30 – 23.59
ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Close & Exhibition break-down
Closed
NOTES
ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
EXHIBITOR INDEX
3DW Technologies (3dw) are specialist developers of dynamic and interactive wind farms visualisation tools for over a decade. Visit us at stand 31.
AECOM provides environmental, engineering, operation and commercial roles, across the world, to deliver comprehensive, integrated solutions for renewable energy infrastructure.
World leader in offshore wind installation and service solutions
www.A2SEA.com
AG Wind Power are on stand 91. Come along and learn how we can increase the profitability of your turbines. See you there!
All-Energy. Stand 120 The UK’s largest renewable energy exhibition and free-to-attend multi-stream conference. Join us in Aberdeen 19-20 May 2010 www.all-energy.co.uk
Visit us at stand 102
Our diverse and experienced team provides expert renewable energy, environment and planning support to clients. Visit our stand – 152. www.atmosconsulting.com
AAT Trade Winds - “the suppliers of equipment to the suppliers of power” is a one-stop-shop supplier of safety products, tools and equipment to the wind and renewable energy industry. With a diverse product range wouldn’t it be good to have all your equipment needs just a click away?
Achilles Applied Technology Ltd is a specialist multidisciplined service provider whose aim is to provide a service where safety, quality, cost effectiveness, efficiency and innovation are our main goals, with a Company ethos of no harm to people, no harm to property and no harm to planet.
Clarke Willmott - leading renewable energy lawyers. Visit us on stand 90 to learn how we have helped our UK and international clients grow their businesses further. Visit www.clarkewillmott.com/renewables
Contact Priscilla Hall on 0845 209 1070 or email Priscilla.hall@clarkewillmott.com
Community Windpower Ltd is an independent UK renewable energy company who is fully experienced in the design, development, construction and operation of windfarms across the UK. Visit us on Stand 31.
ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Coastline Surveys Ltd professional independent marine data acquisitionand interpretation. Providing the complete service from field operations to consultancy needs. Come and visit us at stand no 82
Come and talk to us, Associated British Ports, Stand 23 at the exhibition. are the Port experts of the Offshore Wind Industry.
Visit us at stand 169 Shipping, Handling and Transport. Full route surveying & reporting. ‘Swept path analysis’ (SPA) utilising CAD facilities. ‘Test drive’ of access routes.
Dyne Solicitors Limited provide expert legal advice to the wind energy sector. Find us at Stand 31 at BWEA 31!
Tel: 01829 773100 Email: cls@dynesolicitors.co.uk or ls@dynesolicitors.co.uk Web: www.dynesolicitors.co.uk
Location. Culture. Facilities. Visit Stand 58 to find out why EastPort UK is the ideal partner for renewable energy projects. www.eastportuk.co.uk
Reducing the carbon footprint of industry
Mainstream Renewable Power was established in February 2008 to develop, build and operate renewable energy plants in collaboration with strategic partners across Europe, North America, South America and South Africa.
“EDP offers solution focussed advice and consultancy in relation to renewable energy projects and land development within the UK.” Stand 60 at BWEA31.
Visit Lofrix at stand 31 on the England's Northwest Pavilion
MDF Transport is an experienced road transport company with many years experience supporting the renewable energy industry.
MeteoGroup, Europe’s largest independent weather service provider has an unrivalled reputation for quality and innovation in weather forecasting.
See us on Stand 117 at BWEA 31.
Stand 151
Visit Stand No. 156
Advisers and project managers on infrastructure projects in the marine, coastal and river environments.
VISIT US AT BWEA 31 ON STAND NO. 159 WHERE ENGINEERING MEETS THE ENVIRONMENT
Visit us at BWEA 31 – stand 158.
METOC.CO.UK
We are suppliers of specialist safety equipment and training for working at height in wind turbines. Visit stand 139 to see the full range of our products and services.
Visit Seajacks at stand 52 Seajacks owns & operates the most advanced state-of-the-art harsh environment, self-propelled liftboats in the world.
Natural Power is a leading international renewable energy consultancy – see www.naturalpower.com.
Come and visit Senergy Econnect on stand 166, for all grid connection enquiries. Senergy Econnect, Energising Renewables.
Environmental planning consultants specialising in preparation of planning submissions and environmental statements for wind energy development with expertise in project management, landscape and visual appraisal and public inquiry evidence. Visit us at stand No 87.
Exhibitor Stand Number: 47 Thirty Nine Essex Street is a leading barristers’ chambers with a large Environmental and Planning team experienced in wind energy projects. Winners of the Chambers & Partners Environmental and Planning Chambers Award 2007 and 2008, they are described as ”easily one of the leading environmental sets, ..valued for its deep understanding of the market….”
Our Anemometers are amongst the very few available which can be classified as having “First Class” performance according to IEC61400-12-1 when suitably sited and operated. See our instruments at Stand 71.
The Ventus Funds are primarily focused on small to medium sized onshore renewable energy projects in the UK. Come and visit us at stand 153.
In these days of information overload, you can trust Windpower Monthly to deliver the key facts. For lucid analysis and incisive comment, there is no better source. That’s why WPM is the first choice of all the major wind power companies for advertising and subscriptions. Stand: 24
ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Arena
VIP boxes
VIP boxes
Contact: Veronika Sucha, BWEA Events Manager Email: v.sucha@bwea.com • Tel: +44 (0)20 7901 3015 www.bwea31.com
To book a stand plea allocated on a strictly by email or telephon event sponsors (one
Hall 2
lease complete and return the exhibition booking form with your preferred three stand numbers. Stands will be ctly first-come-first-sreved basis on receipt of a signed booking form. BWEA regrets that stands cannot be reserved hone. The VIP boxes overlook the Arena side of the exhibition and are available on a complimentary basis to major ne per company), also allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.
THE RENEWABLES SHOW IN THE ENERGY CITY
All-Energy 2010 – the UK’s largest renewable energy exhibition and conference – looks forward to welcoming you as an exhibitor or visitor. 5,500 from 60 countries attended All-Energy ’09 with its 380+ exhibiting companies from 14 countries and more than 250 conference speakers. The major exhibition features technology across the full range of renewable energy devices; and the free-to-attend conference looks at issues and challenges facing the industry and at renewable energy sources from multi-million pound offshore projects to microgeneration. Networking opportunities abound.
Be there!
Regularly updated information on all aspects of the show at
www.all-energy.co.uk ABERDEEN 19/20 MAY 2010
Take control of emissions By Isabelle Laurent, Market Specialist Analytical and Laboratories Europe at Air Products
In a world of rising costs, accurate emissions measurements have never been more important and can help to reduce the regulatory cost burden for a wide range of industrial operators. But what can companies involved in emissions monitoring do to improve the accuracy of their gas analysis? Measuring environmental emissions is becoming an increasingly complex business, with growing demand for gas analysis of a wider range of chemical compounds, at much lower concentrations than ever before. Calls for environmental emissions reduction are affecting a wide range of industries. For example, in September 2008, the European Union proposed tough emissions targets for car manufacturers in a move that is expected to lead to the first legally binding CO2 emission standard for new cars in Europe. The committee were in favour of sticking to original proposals, which will require European car makers to reduce average carbon dioxide emissions from new cars to 130 grams per km by 2012, nearly 20% below current levels. ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Similarly for the waste incineration industry, demand for accurate emissions monitoring has been increasing following the EU-wide introduction of the Waste Incineration Directive, which has been effective in the UK for the past three years. The legislation imposed strict regulatory and control requirements in addition to setting emissions limits for a wide range of pollutants, including nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), hydrogen chloride (HCl) and heavy metals (cadmium and mercury). While most process operators have been compliant with this shifting legislation for some time, the focus on accurate emissions monitoring is becoming increasingly critical and, in some instances, can help to reduce the bill for environmental charges. As a result, there has been a growing emphasis on achieving the most accurate measurements possible, using quality gas analysis systems. Improving accuracy To help meet demand for improved accuracy, more top grade calibration gas mixtures are becoming available, which deliver an assurance of accuracy for even the most demanding analytical applications. These gas mixtures come with ISO 17025 certification, which fulfils UKAS and other equivalent European standards. The extended range includes mixtures with components commonly used in emissions monitoring applications, such as nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides or carbon monoxides, at ultra low concentrations, as low as 400 ppb, in air or in nitrogen, in ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
order to achieve the most accurate calibration possible. For the analyst, choosing the right gas mixture for each specific emissions monitoring application is becoming increasingly difficult. They need to ensure that the gas components that make up the mixture are high quality, as this will minimise uncertainties and ensure that the measurements taken are accurate. With this in mind, an easy-to-use online tool has been developed, which enables the user to select bespoke mixtures comprising only the highest quality gases, which come with quality certificates and are fully traceable. All the analyst needs to do is specify some simple data including the preferred cylinder size, mixture type and composition. This kind of tool is increasingly vital in the fast-moving world of emissions monitoring and control, where fast and accurate analysis across a range of emissions is required. The use of top grade calibration mixtures, combined with the use of hi-tech cylinder-filling and treatment techniques, have helped to improve the accuracy of the modern emissions testing systems. Today’s systems are capable of making accurate analyses for all emissions regardless of their reactivity or their concentrations. In the field of emissions monitoring, it is now possible to achieve precise analyses for reactive gases such as HCl and HF emissions, against average daily values of 10mg/m3 and 2mg/m3 respectively, as specified in Annex V of the Waste Emissions Directive.
Room for improvement As demand for emissions monitoring continues to grow, there is still room for further improvements. For example, care is needed when selecting the equipment for use in gas analysis too. Choosing the right gas equipment for a specific emissions monitoring application can be difficult and expert advice is usually needed as there are many different factors to consider. However, an innovative online equipment selector is now able to recommend the right equipment in a matter of moments, while eliminating the possibility of error. Before choosing the right gas equipment, the analyst needs to consider a number of variables, such as the gases used and the outlet pressure required. It is also important to consider whether a single or double-stage regulator is needed. For example, it may be necessary to maintain a precise outlet pressure throughout the use of the cylinder, even when inlet pressure varies. Taking account of such criteria is vital and can have a significant effect on the accuracy of the calibration and therefore of the measurements given. The right choice of material can also be crucial, for safety, purity or compatibility reasons. For example, when using corrosive gases, only stainless steel equipment should be used and when oxygen or oxidizing gas mixtures are being used, brass equipment is preferred.
Of course, it can be easy to overlook one or more of the variables involved in equipment selection. Among the most common errors made when choosing equipment is failing to recognise that a double-stage regulator is needed or specifying equipment which will provide the wrong outlet pressure. Using the new online equipment selector, all the thinking is done in advance, so all the user needs to do is answer a simple set of questions and a recommendation for the best equipment model is made. Such smart solutions are performing an increasingly important role in improving the performance and accuracy of emissions monitoring systems and in doing so, helping industry to take better control of their environmental emissions. In the drive for accuracy in the field of emissions monitoring, technological developments will continue to support the end user by offering improved reliability and an assurance of accuracy and traceability. This all brings peace of mind for the end user. For more information about Air Products’ ExperisŽ range of gases and gas handling equipment, ring 0845 777 8800 or email getgas@airproducts.com. For expert advice on the selection of gases and the equipment, the online equipment selector can be viewed at www.airproducts.co.uk/equipmentselector and the online mixture selector can be viewed at www.airproducts.co.uk/experismixtureselector.
ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
FAMOUS LAST WORDS UK Low Carbon Transition Plan - Business and Public Sector By David Kidney, MP
Powering offices, businesses and factories accounted for more than a tenth of the UK’s emissions last year, so making work places more efficient will help to tackle climate change. In a global recession, being wiser about energy use makes financial and therefore good business sense. The science is clear. In June, the Government published the latest cutting edge data which showed that if we carry on as we are, the UK’s climate could change drastically. We could be subject to more freak weather events like droughts, heat waves and flooding. So the UK has put itself in the shop window by committing to reduce emissions by at least a third from 1990 levels in just 11 years. In July, we launched the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan which sets out how we are going to achieve the cuts. No other country has ever set out such a comprehensive plan for tackling climate change. At the very heart of this plan is how we are going to help businesses make the switch to a low carbon Britain and help capitalise on the economic opportunities. By last year 880,000 people in the UK were working in the low carbon and environment sector worth £106 billion per year. By 2020 this could rise to more than one million people if opportunities are seized to establish the UK as a global centre of low carbon industries and green manufacturing. We are backing our green ideas with hard cash. Up to 2012 more than £50 billion will be spent on low carbon investment. This includes £6 billion to increase the amount of renewable energy and £405 million to support the development of a world-leading low carbon and advanced green manufacturing sector in the UK. To help make workplaces more energy efficient, we are including high-carbon industries in the EU Emissions Trading System and incentivising business and public ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
sector to save energy through programmes including the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC). The CRC is a mandatory scheme which comes into force in April next year and will affect around 20,000 private and public sector organisations. It will save at least 4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year by 2020 and will also help organisations save money through reduced energy bills. £100 million is available through the Carbon Trust in interest free loans for small and medium businesses in the UK to improve energy efficiency. Some successful applicants report their energy bills reduce by as much as 75%. The public sector is being helped too. £54.5 million in interest free loans is available in England to install energy efficiency technology measures in buildings like schools and fire stations. The loans will help pay for the upfront costs of fitting things like boiler replacements, lighting upgrades and insulation. It’s estimated this scheme could save £14 million per year in fuel bills, which means more money can be spent on delivering services to the public. The Department of Energy and Climate Change will do its bit. By March next year there is an ambition to have reduced emissions by 10% at the headquarters in London by making changes to the heating and air conditioning systems, making lighting more energy efficient and promoting behaviour change across the Department so that all staff, senior managers and Ministers do their bit. It is vital that developed countries demonstrate leadership. In around 100 days, DECC’s Secretary of State Ed Miliband will join the world’s leaders in Copenhagen to thrash out an ambitious deal on curbing global temperature rises. The Low Carbon Transition Plan is a green blueprint which will not only set the UK’s businesses on a course to combating climate change but will inspire other nations to take the same action so that ultimately we will all be working together to save our planet.