TTS respond to Environment Scrutiny Panel’s Report on Waste Management Infrastructure

27 June 2008

The Minister for Transport and Technical Services (TTS) has formally responded to the report, commissioned by the Environment Scrutiny Panel, on the planned infrastructure to deliver the Island’s Solid Waste Strategy. This response has now been presented to States members.

On Friday 25 April the Environment Scrutiny Panel held a presentation on Waste Management options for Jersey for elected members and invited guests. It was at this presentation that their report ‘Planned Infrastructure for Implementing the Island’s Waste Strategy and Consideration of Possible Alternative Approaches’, compiled by their technical consultant, Juniper Consultancy Services, was first released.

TTS cooperated fully with requests for information for the review, but did not see the report before it was issued to the public. TTS agree with some areas of the report and not others and a full response to all points has been provided and is available on www.statesassembly.gov.je. However, the Department feels it would have been far more beneficial for States members and the public if further access had been allowed to the authors of the report so that areas of disagreement could have been addressed by them, averting any subsequent confusion.

There is nothing in the Juniper Report that persuades TTS that its preferred solution for the replacement of the Bellozanne incinerator is anything other than the right solution for Jersey. The Report endorses the Department’s procurement process – it states ‘the seven criteria that have been built into the procurement process by T&TS for judging whether technologies are sufficiently proven and reliable are appropriate.’ It also agrees that ‘handling all of the Island’s residual waste within a single EfW (Energy from Waste plant) is technically, commercially and environmentally sound.’

“There have been a lot of misconceptions arising from the event held by the Environment Scrutiny Panel in April,” said Deputy Guy de Faye, Minister for Transport and Technical Services. “People came away believing that some of the alternative waste disposal options that were exhibited and talked about were viable for Jersey. I urge those people to read my response to the Juniper Report so that they can better understand why Jersey must have the proven, cost-effective, environmentally beneficial Energy from Waste facility that I am proposing, which is undoubtedly the best and most robust solution for the Island.”