LAWR

WASTE HANDLING Waste fires – what lies Fire is an ever-present possibility at most waste management sites, if only because many wastes profile fires involving the storage and recycling of waste materials. Is the problem getting worse? Massive blaze", "huge inferno" and "Chinese lantern blamed for largest fire" were just some of the phrases used by the media to describe the waste fire caused at Jayplas' recycling depot in Smethwick, Birmingham last year. The incident happened in July 2013, caused an estimated £6m worth of damage and was described by the West Midlands Fire Service incident commander as "the largest fire that we have ever had in the West Midlands". This incident produced iconic, Backdraft-like images of firefighters working amidst a sea of waste put- ting out the fire. There was also a fire at Hunts Waste Recycling's facil- ity in Dagenham, East London, during the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in 2012. The media coverage of both fires helped define the issue of waste fires in the public imagination, according to the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA). The adverse pub- licity gave the perception that waste fires were increasing. But are they? Environment Agency (EA) statistics actually indicate that the number of waste fires in England is not increas- ing, and since 2011, there has actually been a fall in the total numbers of fires. Figures show that the number of fire incidents recorded at waste sites in 2010 was 345, 425 in 2011, 302 in 2012 and 298 in 2013. Figures also show that the number of 'Cat 1 and 2' (highest- pollution-impact waste fires) have not increased (2011: 48, 2012: 19, 2013: 21). However, as Labour MP for Blaenau Gwent Nick Smith points out, despite waste management sites being moni- tored and requiring licences there is still at least one fire a day across England and Wales. There are also many unavoidable, severe fires still happening. As the UK tries to reduce the amount of waste being buried in landfill sites, more is being stockpiled in recycling facilities. These factors could be construed as increasing the risk and likelihood of a fire occur- ring, unless preventative measures are implemented. An EA spokeswoman says stockpil- ing any combustible material needs to be proactively managed and controlled to reduce fire risk. Contributory factors A number of contributory factors relate to the severity of fires on some sites. According to the CFOA, these include the steady accumulation of waste lead- ing to enlarged stacks with minimal separation between stacks, buildings or other features on the site, which has on occasion led to rapid fire spread and extremely challenging firefighting operations. The EA also says that fires happen for a variety of reasons but "in essence the steps taken to prevent a fire have been inadequate". Most waste fires are at sites stor- ing recovered, recoverable, recyclable materials, according to the EA. This includes paper, plastics, refuse derived fuel (RDF)/ solid recovered fuel (SRF), chipped wood and tyres. The 'bulk' storage of RDF bales has, in some cases, been viewed by the Fire and Rescue Service as a potential factor regarding the intensity of fires, according to the CFOA. However, it accepts that fur- ther information and data analysis is required before a definitive position is taken. An EA spokeswoman also says that there "is no obvious trend of fires affecting one particular waste stream". The issue of a small band of "rogue traders" has also been seen as a con- tributory factor to waste fires but has been difficult to prove, says the CFOA. According to the Association, a range of reasons have been cited for rogue trading such as "the issue of 'gate fees' being high that can drive the rogue market where operators take on a stock and then abandon it" alongside "the possible use of deliberate fire setting as a means of reducing stockpiles". However, the CFOA points out that a clear delineation needs to be made regarding what constitutes rogue trading activity against the actions of legitimate traders who have run into difficulties and require advice from regulators. In fact, Resource Minister Dan Rogerson asserts that many fires at waste sites are linked to poor opera- tor compliance. As a consequence, he called for more robust enforcement 12 Local Authority Waste & Recycling December 2014 " " I do think the EA should be doing more around the policing of external storage " Smethwick fire at Jayplas recycling depot in 2013. PICTURE CREDIT: West Midlands Fire Service Waste fires – what lies Fire is an ever-present possibility at most waste management sites, if only because many wastes profile fires involving the storage and recycling of waste materials. Is the problem getting worse?

• Cover