NPL ESTATES' COMMITMENT ON WASTE

NPL Estates has today given a commitment to the people of Billingham not to store waste directly below houses in the area.

The company is looking to develop the Billingham Anhydrite Mine – with a total capacity of 11 million cubic metres - equal to 4,400 Olympic swimming pools - to dispose of non-toxic, non-reactive dry wastes, which could include ash from a local municipal waste facility currently being taken by road to a mine in Cheshire.

 

A study commissioned by the company looking at financial and technical aspects of the project has now shown it would be feasible for NPL to utilize other areas of the mine instead of those directly below housing.

 

The study follows a physical inspection of the mine in September last year and a report and images produced earlier this year.

 

Simon Towers, Managing Director of the company said: "We have listened to the concerns expressed by a number of residents during our discussions with the community over the last year and together with our consultants, have identified an area for disposal that isn’t under residential areas.

 

"The disposal activity would be completely safe. The source of all the waste entering the mine would be known and recorded, it would be tested on site and stored in special conditions under licence from the Environment Agency."

 

An NPL newsletter is today being distributed to almost 4,000 households in the part of Billingham closest to the mine area.

 

NPL has previously given commitments that no nuclear waste will be stored in the mine and that this project will finally remove this threat for the future.

 

The company is now submitting a Scoping Report to Stockton Borough Council which will identify all the issues which would need to be addressed should NPL move forward towards submitting a planning application later in the year. The responses received from the statutory consultees over the next few months will help NPL determine whether to proceed to the planning stage.

 

 

The Anhydrite Mine was operated between 1927 and 1971 and eventually closed when the two mine shafts were capped in 1978.

 

It is two miles long from north to south and up to a mile wide from east to west. Two thirds is under the Billingham site with the rest covering the area towards the Cowpen Industrial Estate. Only just over half of the rock was ever extracted from the mine – a total of around 33 million tonnes - leaving massive pillars to support the roof.

 

Ranging from a depth of between 130 metres and 280 metres below ground, rock was extracted using a "room and pillar" method.

 

Anhydrite (or calcium sulphate) is extremely strong and geologically stable rock. It has roughly four times the compression strength of concrete. The product was formerly used to make cement and plasterboard and also as a source of sulphur in the manufacture of sulphuric acid and ammonium sulphate.