What is RCT Council using for infill next to Cwmbach Wetlands
AberdareOnline has been sent a number of photographs of what appears to be waste material being dumped at the Ynys Fields from the photograph it looks like sections of tarmac road planings and other building material, road Planings are likely to be classed as ‘non-hazardous or hazardous waste’ and would be costly to dispose of to the local landfill site and landfill tax would have to be paid. We were informed the waste is from the Parks Department compound next to Aberdare Park.
IS TARMAC CLASSED AS HAZARDOUS WASTE?
Before the 1980s, tarmac binders and surface courses were derived from coal tar, which is formed as a by-product during the production of coal gas. This is now classified as a hazardous substance under WM3 rules.
As Rhondda Cynon Taf Council keep informing residents with regard to Fly Tipping, if you decided to fly-tip then you are breaking the law and risk a criminal record, with fines of up to £50,000 or 12 months imprisonment. So is this waste that’s been dumped at the Ynys a subject of Fly Tipping?
RCT Council advises: “If the fly-tipping is larger than 5 bags, not a first offence or is Commercial Waste then a Fixed Penalty Notice WILL NOT be issued and the matter will be dealt with through the Court system.”
A CASE OF FLY-TIPPING
So the council themselves break their own rules on fly-tipping it would seem, The duty of care legislation makes provision for the safe management of waste to protect human health and the environment.
(In the village of Glynhafod) Resources Wales has given advice and guidance to RCT with regard to this site. do agree that the transfer notes equate to 2,460 tonnes of waste and so we will expect RCT to remove from the site 1,460 tonnes in order to comply with the 1000-tonne limit for the U1 exemption. The agreed date that the work will be undertaken is 31st March 2016.
Cwmbach Community Wetlands is an example of community empowerment and Valleys’ values at their finest.
It would appear from the Photographs we have that this waste is being disposed of next to the wet meadows of Tirfounder Fields now called the Cwmbach Wetlands AberdareOnline has highlighted this area for many years. You can read what the Cwmbach Wetlands group are trying to achieve not forgetting the Friends of Tirfounder who have an excellent record of the Tirfounder Wetlands.
BIODIVERSITY DUTY IN RHONDDA CYNON TAF (2017)
Places where winter floodwater spills, and floodplain grassland, woodland and wetland flourish. The lagoons and wet pastures of Tirfounder Fields, Aberdare supports regionally important numbers of breeding and wintering water birds, grass snake and dragonflies. These stunning landscapes hold and gently release stormwater, precious wildlife refuges which save our living room carpets from a flood. The local authority has a variety of responsibilities relating to water including ordinary watercourse consents, flood risk management planning and water pollution.
Follow the wetland on Twitter @cwmbachwetlands
The question why
Why would RCT Council use old road planings tarmac to infill a void in a field bordering a freshwater lake that is part of the Cynon Valley floodplain and a nature reserve where wetlands and other birds live and breed? The floodplain, surely lessons should have been learnt with the Persimmon development that created a massive vacuum reducing the Cynon Valley catchment area for floodwater.
