http://www.lep.co.uk/news/Chemical-blast-firm-admits-blame.5890557.jp

Chemical blast firm admits blame

Published Date: 07 December 2009 By Rachel Dearden

A multi-billion pound waste handling company has pleaded guilty to its part in a massive inferno which brought Preston to a standstill. Schools and motorways were shut and people were ordered to stay indoors when 30ft flames tore through the site in Red Scar in July 2007. Almost 70 firefighters tackled the blaze which saw missiles thrown 200 metres into the air.

Veolia Environmental Services Cleanaway, which ran the site, admitted two charges of breaching the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmosphere Regulations at Preston Crown Court yesterday.

The court heard lithium batteries – which had been collected by the Ministry of Defence in Belfast and transported to Preston via York just two days previously – had been stored alongside highly flammable chemicals, contrary to regulations.

At around 4am on the morning of July 2 2007 the batteries spontaneously combusted, causing the organic peroxides and oxiders to catch light. As the flames took hold, lids of storage containers and burning missiles were flung into the sky, some landing outside the perimeter fence. Thick black smoke billowed across the M6 and M65 motorways, which were shut for three hours while firefighters battled for more than six hours to bring the flames under control.

The case is the first prosecution of its kind to be brought jointly by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), The Environment Agency and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.

Judge Stuart Baker will sentence the company on Wednesday.

Landfill owner appeals county requirements
By THERESA CHURCHILL — H&R Senior Writer

The Illinois Pollution Control Board has agreed to hear an appeal of certain conditions sought by Macon County in exchange for permission to expand the Veolia Environmental Services Valley View Landfill near Harristown.

The county board wants to require a visual barrier between the landfill and the surrounding neighborhood as well as additional wells to measure the landfill’s leachate.

Leachate is the liquid that drains or “leaches” from a landfill, and wells are used to extract the liquid before it can contaminate groundwater.

Veolia is arguing that requirements to install visual barriers and drill additional wells for measuring leachate elevations instead of simply using the leachate extraction wells are not reasonable and not within the county’s authority to impose…

…Assistant Macon County State’s Attorney Randy Waks said Monday that he knew the visual barriers and the leachate wells were big issues to Veolia because of the cost but was a bit surprised to see additional issues in the appeal…

For more detail, visit http://www.herald-review.com/news/local/article_36c62f34-c479-5f8f-b0ea-dfa8233d652a.html