EfW Plant and RHCC

Summary

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture responded to a request for the Energy from Waste Plant licence, subsequent amendments, and minutes regarding the cessation of the Richmond Hill Consultative Committee. All requested information was disclosed, though some personal data within the documents was redacted under data protection laws.

Key Facts

• The original Waste Disposal Licence (WDL/06/2003/V1) was issued to SITA on 14th November 2003.
• A current licence and conditions were issued in 2011, with further variations documented since then.
• The Richmond Hill Consultative Committee (RHCC) was discussed for disbanding in a meeting on 13th June 2017.
• The 2017 meeting attendees included Minister G Boot, DEFA CEO R Lole, and Director B Warden.
• Some information was redacted because it constituted personal data exempt under section 25 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015.

Data Disclosed

• 2017-08-29
• 2017-09-28
• 152
• 1
• 2003
• 2011
• 13th June 2017
• 3rd Nov 14
• 18th May 15
• 28th Sept 16
• WDL/06/2003/V1
• 14th November 2003
• section 25
• 2002

Exemptions Cited

• Section 25 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (Absolutely exempt personal information)
• Data Protection Act 2002

Data Tables (15)

Full Response Text

Page 1 of 3

 Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture

  Rheynn Chymmyltaght, Bee as Eirinys

28th September 2017

Dear ,

Request under the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (FoIA) Ref: IM100609i Energy from Waste Plant licence and Richmond Hill Consultative Committee (RHCC) Thank you for your request dated 29th August 2017
You asked: 1. Copy of the original Licence and conditions issued to SITA for the operation of the Energy for Waste Plant. 2. Copies of any subsequent Licences issued and amendments to conditions. 3. Copy of any Department minutes which discussed and decided on the cessation of the Richmond Hill Consultative Committee

For ease of reference we have numbered your questions. Response A search has been conducted and the Department confirms that information is held that will answer your request. Personal data While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance some of the information in this response has been redacted as it is personal data. This is absolutely exempt under section 25 of the Act (Absolutely exempt personal information). The Department is satisfied the information amounts to personal data under the Data Protection Act 2002 and that disclosure of the information would contravene one of the data protection principles, namely the Department can only disclose the information where it would be fair, lawful and meet one of the conditions in schedule 2. In this case, none of those conditions have been met.

Freedom of Information
Co-ordinator Corporate Services Directorate, Thie Slieau Whallian, Foxdale Road,
St John’s, Isle of Man, IM4 3AS Tel no (01624) 685854 Fax no (01624 685851 Email: defa@gov.im
www.gov.im

Quoting Ref: IM100609i Your Ref:

Page 2 of 3

1. Question Copy of the original Licence and conditions issued to SITA for the operation of the Energy for Waste Plant. Answer Please see Appendix 1.

2. Question

Copies of any subsequent Licences issued and amendments to conditions. Answer Please see Appendix 2a for the current (2011) licence and conditions (pages xiv – xvi note the variations since the original 2003 licence) and Appendix 2b for variations since the current 2011 licence was issued.

1. Question

Copy of any Department minutes which discussed and decided on the cessation of the Richmond Hill Consultative Committee Answer

Please see Appendix 3. In addition to these minutes, information is held in the form of handwritten notes of a meeting held on 13th June 2017. The meeting was attended by:

Mr G Boot – Minister

Mr R Lole – DEFA CEO

Mr B Warden – Director, Environment, Safety & Health

and an Environmental Protection Officer (name withheld)

The notes are transcribed here:

RHCC Draft letter GB to Municiple [sic] Ass DOLGE were Regulator & operator DOI waste committee data on website final meeting RHCC
to dis-band - Identify any residual issues a) Letter b) Briefing note on Waste Derived fuels WDF

3rd Nov 14 – RHCC 18th May 15 – RHCC 28th Sept 16 – sub group

Page 3 of 3

Your right to request a review If you are unhappy with this response to your Freedom of Information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post to the sender of this letter at the address above. An electronic version of the relevant complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/freedom-of-information/freedom-of-information- review-request. If you would like a paper version of the complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact us and we will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.
If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1 Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act; or 2 Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.

In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your rights to review is on the Information Commissioner’s website at: https://www.inforights.im/

If anything is unclear, or if you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about Freedom of Information requests can be found: https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/freedom-of-information

Yours sincerely

FOI Co-ordinator

Department of Local Government and the Environment Environmental Protection Waste Disposal Licence Number: WDL/06/2003/V1 Issue Number: 1 Date of Issue: 14th November 2003 Licence Department of Local Government and the Environment Rheynn Reiltys Ynnydagh as y Chymmyltaght
WASTE DISPOSAL LICENCE PUBLIC HEALTH ACT 1990 COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL OF WASTE REGULATIONS 2000 LICENCE NUMBER:

WDL/06/2003/V1 FACILITY TYPE:

Energy from Waste Plant

The Department of Local Government and the Environment, in pursuance of Part IV of the Public Health Act 1990 hereby grant the following Waste Disposal Licence. This Licence authorises the sorting, storage, processing and incineration of waste and the use of plant and equipment for that purpose on land at: Part Field 2516 and 2517 (County Series Map), Middle Farm Site, Braddan, Isle of Man. This Licence is issued to: SITA Waste (Isle of Man) Limited,
Wellington House, Market Street, Douglas, Isle of Man. IM1 2BF that body being in occupation of the said land. This Licence is issued subject to the conditions and limitations in the attached SCHEDULE OF CONDITIONS This Licence is effective from 14th November 2003 Signed …… …………………… Date …………………. M.R. Hall Director of Environment, Safety and Health Appendix 1 Department of Local Government and the Environment Environmental Protection Waste Disposal Licence Number: WDL/06/2003/V1 Issue Number: 1 Date of Issue: 14th November 2003

Contents

Contents

Page

Introductory Note

i Schedule of Conditions

1 The Licensed Site

1 2 Operational Matters

5 3 Records

24 4 Reporting

26 5 Notifications

28 6 Emissions

30 7 Transfers to effluent treatment plant

36 8 Off-site conditions

36 9 Improvement programme

36 10 Interpretation

38 11 Written agreement to changes

43 Schedule 1

Notifications in accordance with condition 5.1.2 44 Schedule 2

Reporting of monitoring data 45 Schedule 3

Reporting forms to be used 47 Schedule 4 Map indicating Licensed Site Boundary (Figure 2A) 61 Department of Local Government and the Environment Environmental Protection Waste Disposal Licence Number: WDL/06/2003/V1 Issue Number: 1 Date of Issue: 14th November 2003

Introductory Note

Page i of 63

Introductory Note

This Introductory Note does not form part of the Schedule of Conditions attached to the Waste Disposal Licence.

The Department of Local Government and the Environment’s (DLGE) Directorate of Environment, Safety and Health is responsible for the administration and enforcement of all Waste Disposal Licences under the Public Health Act 1990. All references to the ‘Department’ or ‘DLGE’ herein refer to the Environment, Safety and Health Directorate.

1. General

This Licence is issued under Section 59 of the Public Health Act 1990 and the Collection and Disposal of Waste Regulations 2000. These Regulations specify those processes for which a Waste Disposal Licence is required, including the sorting, storing, processing and incineration of waste.

The Waste Disposal Licence includes conditions that have to be complied with. These conditions are intended to prevent this facility from causing pollution of the water, danger to public health and serious detriment to the amenities of the locality in which the facility is located.

The Operator of the Licensed Site must also satisfy any obligations imposed under other legislation, for example Health & Safety legislation.

For the period this Licence is in force, the Licensed Site must be operated in accordance with the conditions imposed by this Waste Disposal Licence (reference: WDL/06/2003/V1) and by the Braddan (Middle Farm) Planning Scheme Order 1998 (reference: SD 537/98) as amended by the Braddan (Middle Farm) Planning Scheme (Amendment) Order 2001(SD 266/01) [hereafter referred to as the Planning Scheme Order (as amended)].

The more stringent requirements shall be applied at all times whether contained within this Licence or the Planning Scheme Order (as amended).

1. Description of the Regulated Site

Summary

The main purpose of the activity at this site is the incineration of a range of waste materials and the recovery of energy in the form of heat and electricity. This Licence covers the operation of the entire site, including both incineration lines and all associated activities.

Department of Local Government and the Environment Environmental Protection Waste Disposal Licence Number: WDL/06/2003/V1 Issue Number: 1 Date of Issue: 14th November 2003

Introductory Note

Page ii of 63 All process operations, with the exceptions of transport, loading of APCRs, unloading of lime & ammonia, gas oil storage, incoming water storage and sewage treatment, take place within a fully enclosed building.

There are two incineration lines : • The Primary incinerator has a design capacity of c. 8.25 tonnes per hour (at a CV of 10.7MJ/kg) and processes municipal solid waste (MSW), sewage screenings and waste tyres. • The Secondary incinerator has a design capacity of c. 1.0 tonnes per hour (at a CV of 8.78MJ/kg) and processes animal waste, clinical waste, sewage screenings and waste oils.

The heat produced by the primary incinerator is used to produce steam which is converted into electricity for use on site and for export to the Manx Electricity grid. The plant is designed to export up to 7MW of electricity. The heat from the secondary incinerator is used to pre-heat the boiler feed-water. There is the facility for waste heat to be used in a domestic or commercial heating scheme should this become viable.

Primary incineration line

Raw Materials

The Primary incineration line is used to process MSW, sewage screenings and waste tyres. These wastes are delivered to the site in covered vehicles. The vehicles are weighed before proceeding to the tipping hall. This is in a fully enclosed building and is maintained under slight negative pressure to ensure that no odours, dust or litter can escape from the building. The vehicles tip the incoming waste into the main bunker from where a grab transfers the waste to the feed hopper of the combustion plant. The grab is also used to mix the waste in the bunker and to remove any unsuitable items identified by the grab operator.

All raw materials (other than water, lime and activated carbon) for the process are stored in bunded areas and, with the exceptions of gas oil and incoming water, all are stored within the building : • Lime for the flue gas cleaning process is delivered by bulk tanker and offloaded pneumatically into a storage silo using enclosed systems to prevent releases. All equipment is dust-tight and the exhaust air is passed through a filter, before release, to prevent the escape of dust. • Ammonia solution for use in the control of nitrogen oxides is delivered by tanker and offloaded into a storage tank. During offloading ammonia vapour is vented to the tanker so preventing release to atmosphere. There are no open vents on the system and there are therefore no releases during normal operation.
• Activated carbon/lignite coke for the flue gas cleaning process is delivered and stored in ‘big bags’. The carbon is fed into the process, via volumetric feeders, using compressed air. The system is completely sealed so that dust releases are prevented.
Department of Local Government and the Environment Environmental Protection Waste Disposal Licence Number: WDL/06/2003/V1 Issue Number: 1 Date of Issue: 14th November 2003

Introductory Note

Page iii of 63 • Gas oil is used as fuel in auxiliary burners and in the plume suppression equipment. It is delivered in tankers and stored in one of two bunded storage tanks. Storage for the auxiliary burners is outside the main building whilst the smaller storage tank for the plume suppression equipment is within the building. • Various water treatment chemicals and other materials are used in the process and these are stored in the supplier’s containers in bunded areas within the building.

Combustion Process

The Primary incinerator is a reciprocating grate design with a water-cooled grate to allow the combustion of high calorific value materials. The design is intended to provide good mixing of waste on the grate and hence to promote effective combustion.

Waste is fed into the furnace, from the feed hopper, using a feed ram. The incinerator temperature is continuously monitored and an automatic system ensures that waste can only be fed into the furnace provided the temperature is above 850oC. The are two auxiliary burners which burn gas oil when necessary to raise the temperature to at least 850oC and maintain this temperature for at least 2 seconds in the presence of excess oxygen. The oxygen concentration and the temperature are carefully controlled to ensure effective combustion and to minimise the formation of pollutants, including dioxins.

The combustion system incorporates a three-staged air supply to ensure effective incineration of the waste and to minimise the production of pollutants:

• Primary air is extracted from the tipping hall and introduced below the grate to promote good combustion. • Secondary air is extracted from the boiler-house and introduced directly above the waste on the grate to provide good combustion control. • Tertiary air is extracted from the boiler-house and is injected at the beginning of the boiler section to ensure completion of the combustion process. Ammonia is injected after the combustion chamber to react with the oxides of nitrogen, reducing them to nitrogen and water.

As the waste moves along the grate it is progressively dried & burned and the resultant ash (bottom ash) drops into a slag extractor tr

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