Sterecycle plant Wreakes of ODOUR in Rotherham
A Rotherham based recycling plant An odour management programme has been agreed with the Environment Agency by waste treatment and recycling firm Sterecycle after problems at its Rotherham autoclave facility.
The programme will see a number of measures adopted by the Canadianowned firm at its waste treatment plant which has also recently seen completion of a materials recycling facility. Capacity of the plant using autoclaves has been increased from 100,000 tonnes per annum to 175,000 tonnes.
our officers and resolving the issue is one of our highest priorities.”
And, Ms Holt also commented on recent odour complaints. She said: “We have attended a residents’ meeting to hear feedback, and are currently investigating and cannot comment further at this stage.”
Sheffield Environment agency and they always pass the buck to Rotherham Environment agency.
“The smell from Stereocycle is so unbearable, we have to keep our windows closed and dare to to send our children outside”. The complaints have been going on for a number of years and nothing has been done.
Sterecycle's recently-opened materials recycling facility The odour management programme comes after the Environment Agency expressed concern about the amount of time its officers have had to spend The local authority, Rotherham metdealing with odour issues at the plant. ropolitan borough council, said: “We have discussed the odour problems Joanne Holt, environment managewith the Environment Agency. We ment team leader for the Environment have regular operational meetings with Agency, said: “We have received Sterecycle and our concerns have been odour complaints about Sterecycle made known to them.” from residents and local businesses and are committed to improving the Local resident Muzaffar Rehman said odour problems. The time spent on in a statement “We have lodged regulating the site is very intensive for complaints after complaints with
The local Tinsley forum does not represent its local residents, and yet this organisation pretends to act as our representitive. The local community are constantly making complaints on a daily basis. The management at sterecycle on a number of occassions have been rude to several people when called to lodge a complain. From time to time waste lorries also drive upto residential roads which leave a very umpleasant odour in the neighbourhood”.
Call for Authorites to Investigate Abuse of Palestinian Prisoners Amnesty International is calling on the Israeli authorities to investigate allegations that two Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in protest at their administrative detention have been ill-treated while in detention, Amnesty International said. The two men - Hassan Safadi and Samer al-Barq - have been on hunger strike since 21 June and 22 May respectively. According to their lawyer, guards have beaten and verbally abused the men at the Israel Prison Service Medical Centre in the central city of Ramleh. The two are barely able to stand and use wheelchairs for their daily needs. Independent medical examinations found that both men were weak and that they risk death if their hunger strikes continue. Hassan Safadi’s health deteriorated on 6 August and he was transferred to Assaf Harofeh hospital, where he remains shackled to his bed - which
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constitutes degrading treatment prohibited under international human rights law. Safadi has been detained since 29 June 2011. He ended a previous 70-day hunger strike in May then, when his administrative detention order was renewed for further six months, he restarted his hunger strike on 21 June. Samer al-Barq has been held in administrative detention since 2010. He ended a hunger strike after 50 days in the middle of May, only to resume it days later after his detention order was renewed for a further three months. Amnesty International Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director Ann Harrison said: “The Israeli authorities must release Hassan Safadi, Samer al-Barq and all other administrative detainees, unless they are promptly charged with recognisable criminal offences and tried in accordance with international fair trial stand-
ards. They must also investigate allegations that Hassan Safadi and Samer al-Barq have been ill-treated while in detention and ensure they are treated humanely, and not punished in any way for their hunger strike.” In Israel detainees can be held in administrative detention without charge or trial for periods of up to six months; these detentions can be renewed indefinitely. Israel has used the measure against its citizens since 1948. Thousands of Palestinians from the occupied Palestinian territories have been subjected to it since 1967. Administrative detainees - like many other Palestinian prisoners - have been subjected to violations such as the use of torture and other ill-treatment during interrogation, as well as cruel and degrading treatment during their detention, sometimes as punishment for hunger strikes or other protests. In addition, administrative detainees and their families must live with the uncertainty of not knowing how long they will be deprived of their liberty and the injustice of not knowing exactly why they are being detained. Like other Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody, they have also faced bans on family visits, forcible transfer or exile and solitary confinement. These practices contra-
vene Israel’s international human rights obligations. A mass hunger strike involving some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees protesting against poor prison conditions, including solitary confinement, denial of family visits and detention without charge, came to an end on 14 May following an Egyptian-brokered deal with the Israeli authorities. Despite media reports suggesting that Israel had agreed that administrative detention orders of current detainees would not be renewed unless significant new intelligence information was presented, the Israeli authorities have continued to renew orders and to issue new ones. As of the end of June there were at least 285 Palestinian administrative detainees, among them members of the Palestinian Legislative Council. Human rights defenders such as Walid Hanatsheh and at least four journalists, in addition to university students and academic staff, were also among those behind bars without charge or trial. In June, Amnesty’s report, Starved of justice: Palestinians detained without trial by Israel, documented human rights violations associated with administrative detention in Israel.
News in Brief
Police Say Figures are an improvement Four of the UK’s 20 worst hotspots for uninsured drivers are in Bradford, new figures have revealed. The BD9 postcode area ranks third worst with more than six times the national average of uninsured drivers, and BD8 is fifth in the table, the Motor Insurers’ Bureau has revealed. But the figures represent an improvement for Bradford, with BD3 at number 11, having fallen six places from fifth position. Great Horton has dropped from seventh to 19th in the table and West Bowling and Bankfoot no longer appear in the top 20. West Yorkshire Police said a total of 1,790 vehicles were seized in Bradford for having no insurance between June 2011 and May 2012. Operation Northolt has been introduced across the force which provides a highly public demonstration of our multi-agency approach. This runs once a month and concentrates on uninsured driving hotspots across the county. Action days have already been conducted across the Bradford district including Manningham , Girlington , Frizinghall , Heaton , Barkerend , Keighley centre and Great Horton. Bradford East MP David Ward, who has campaigned for affordable car insurance, hailed the “intense pressure” being put on uninsured drivers by police, and partnership working between insurers and the DVLA. New research carried out on behalf of the MIB in West Yorkshire and the West Midlands has found a third of people do not understand the laws on car insurance.
Sheffield’s roads are set for a Major UPGRADE Sheffield’s roads are set for a major upgrade after Transport Minister Norman Baker announced that the council is to benefit from up to £1.2 billion of Government funding. The Private Finance Initiative (PFI) funding will allow Sheffield City Council to carry out vital improvements and maintenance to local roads over a 25 year period. The contract includes the improvement and the ongoing maintenance of the city’s 1,180 miles of road, 2,050 miles of footway, 36,000 highway trees, 480 traffic signals, 68,000 street lights, over 18,000 items of street furniture and 12,700 street name plates. The contract will also include services such as street cleaning, winter gritting and landscape maintenance. The funding this Government has agreed will bring better, safer roads and more reliable journeys to the people of Sheffield. This contract will see the condition of Sheffield’s roads greatly improved and will include the maintenance of footways, bridges, street lighting and traffic signals. Sheffield is expected to commence operation of this project in August 2012.
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