Questions given to Cllr Anthony Blagg head of waste services and responses given.
Questions put to County Councillor Blagg by District Councillor Nigel Dowty
at a meeting held at the County Hall on 3rd September 2012
re the Incinerator:
(Answers are shown in red)
1. What is the total budgeted cost of the EFW variation over the 25 year period (capital
plus running cost)/What is the estimated annual running cost?
Final figure unknown,
still waiting for the financial model to be populated.
2.What is the current estimated
capital cost of the EFW variation and how confident are you that this is still realistic?
Final
figure unknown, still waiting for the financial model to be populated.
3.What is the
most up to date estimated /budgeted gate fee for the incinerator, initial and escalator?
Final figure unknown, still waiting for the financial model to be populated.
4. Is
the value of electricity generated credited to the county council or does the profit
go straight to the contractor?
It will be credited to the County Council through the
financial model with any excess profit being shared.
5. If there is insufficient household
waste, is there a cap on commercial and industrial waste?
No. This was removed by
the Planning Inspector but in reality this will be commercial waste as collected
by Worcestershire and Herefordshire Councils which has similar compositions to household
waste. Much industrial waste could not be used and the financial costs of importing
materials would not make it viable.
6. Have there been any guarantees given by either
party?
Depends what you mean by guarantees but yes there will contractual arrangements
-
Yes.
8. Is there a financial penalty to the council if there is not sufficient
volume of waste or if the waste is not of the right composition? If so what is this
penalty?
Volume no, composition change yes and penalty would be financial.
9. Is there
a financial penalty in place if the contractor breaches emission limits? If so what
is this penalty?
Yes, depends on the period of time limits are exceeded.
10. What is
the Audit Commission's current view on value for money and contractual ties of this
variation?
The Audit Commission have reviewed the contractual process thus far but
cannot review the final figures until they are ready for the November deadline.
11.
What penalty clauses are in place in the contract?
Various dependent on performance.
The contract covers other waste streams and Household Recycling Centres for instance.
12.
If there is too little household waste, will waste be imported from other counties?
Contractors
risk.
13. What is the volume of commercial and industrial waste in 2011/12?
We don't
hold the information and would need to refer this question to the Environment Agency.
14.
If the composition of commercial and industrial waste is almost identical to the
composition of household waste, what is being done to recycle more?
Industrial waste
isn't, but some commercial waste is. We are working with Wychavon, Herefordshire
and other constituent WCA's to do this, by offering recycling services that the businesses
want.
15.What is the total waste arising (tonnes) in 2011/12 split into residual ,recycling
and composting. What is the current waste arising since April 2012 to end JULY August
2012 split into residual, recycling and composting?
Composting Recycling Residual
Reuse Soil and Rubble Total
2011 -
2012
-
2012/13 figures are from April to July
inclusive.
All tonnages are for contract waste arisings in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
16.
Of the total residual waste IN 2011/12, please identify how much went to energy from
waste, how much went to third party landfill and how much went to Hill and Moor?
Total
Residual Waste To EfW To 3rd Party Landfill To Hill and Moor
2011 -
All tonnages are for contract waste arisings in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
17.
How much recycling waste went into Envirosort in 2011/12.What is the maximum capacity
of Envirosort?
60,753 tonnes of material from Herefordshire and Worcestershire went
to EnviroSort in 2011/12. The maximum permitted capacity at EnviroSort is 105,000
tonnes.
18. In the last 10 years residual waste has reduced by 141,000 tonnes with
a corresponding increase of 128,000 tonnes in recycling and composting. Following
that trend which included an increase in population , how can the incinerator be
justified as there is not sufficient waste in the County to feed it. In addition
included within this residual waste is around 65,000 tonnes imported from South West
Region dealt with in Worcestershire.
Please provide details of your tonnage information.
The EfW facility has been sized based on expected tonnage and housing growth.
Our
residual and recycling numbers are similar, but we do not believe this trend is sustainable.
The current residual waste tonnage is approximately 190,000 per annum and allowing
for growth in the population and some commercial waste capacity, we believe the size
of the facility is appropriate. We don't understand the significance of the reference
to residual waste from the South West.
19. What is the effect on council tax with
and without this proposal?
Unknown at present.
20. The composition of residual waste
is more than 80% recyclable/compostable in some form therefore have the council financially
evaluated these other cheaper and greener alternatives? If so are these financial
evaluations available for review?
No so called “cheaper and greener” alternatives
have been sent to us with anything like full costings and the figures that have been
bandied about have been spurious but we do and will review them.