Vale quarries ‘will be found unsuitable for inert waste’
INVESTIGATIONS into whether two Vale quarries could become inert waste sites will only confirm their unsuitability for that purpose, a parish deputy has said.
States’ Trading Assets is reviewing whether Guillotin and L’Epine quarries would be suitable for disposing of materials such as stone, rubble and soil, which are currently disposed of at Longue Hougue land reclamation site.
Matt Fallaize said using these two sites for that purpose would be a ‘staggering’ decision and that parishioners ‘should not be unduly worried’ about the future location of inert waste disposal.
‘These two quarries are among relatively small residential lanes. They would provide disposal space for a very limited period of time,’ he said.
‘And, once full, the covered quarries would have little potential use.
‘If proposals come forward to use these quarries I will oppose them vigorously, but I am as certain as I can be that no States committee is going to put forward such proposals.
‘I have been contacted by many parishioners about this matter and I have advised them of both my opposition to the use of these quarries and my judgement that they will not be proposed for use.’
Longie Hougue reclamation is expected to be full within five years. If Guillotin and L’Epine were to be used for inert waste, they would both be full within three years.
Deputy Fallaize defended the Environment & Infrastructure committee, which is responsible for inert waste policy, saying the States as a whole had brought about the site investigations.
‘It is important to understand how all this came about. The relevant committees asked the States to approve Longue Hougue for further investigation as the most likely site for future inert waste disposal. I was unwell and unable to attend that meeting, but I recall listening on the radio as the committees explained clearly why they wanted to focus their further work on Longue Hougue.
‘Unfortunately, the States had a rather eccentric moment and by a slim margin directed the committees also to investigate other sites despite persuasive advice that such other sites could be highly unsuitable.
‘This is why L’Epine and Guillotin are now being investigated.’
‘I would be not so much surprised as staggered if the latest round of investigations changed the committees’ recommendation to use Longue Hougue.
‘These are generally responsible committees served by sensible advisors and it seems to me inconceivable that they will suddenly change their minds and conclude that inert waste should be put into small quarries in quiet residential lanes which they had previously wanted to be ruled out.’
Further recommendations on inert waste disposal are due to go before the States in 2019.
