Skip Navigation | HOME | UK Indymedia | Editorial Guidelines | Mission Statement | About Us | Contact | Help | Support Us

manchester Indymedia

They KNEW about the exposed asbestos in the Spodden Valley?!

Save Spodden Valley | 04.05.2005 20:39 | Ecology | Health | Social Struggles | World

The Save Spodden Valley campaign has seen a letter dated 10th September 2004 sent to the owners of the TBA site confirming exposed asbestos in the Spodden Valley. Until late February 2005, Countryside Properties appeared adamant that there was no exposed asbestos on the land owned by MMC Developments Ltd/ Rathbone Jersey Ltd.

Bryan Sutcliffe points to where he was exposed to asbestos contaminated soil
Bryan Sutcliffe points to where he was exposed to asbestos contaminated soil


Campaign co-ordinator Jason Addy comments on this shocking news:

“After months of denial about exposed asbestos on the site, the letter is very damning. It proves that not only did they know of the asbestos problem, but it appears they were contemplating whether to inform the council about it or not. Why did MMC and Countryside Properties spend so much time and effort last year saying they didn’t know about any exposed asbestos on the site?”

“Countryside Properties even said on BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours Programme in January 2005 that local people were wrong to say that there was exposed asbestos in the Spodden Valley. They suggested on a follow-up You and Yours broadcast that the asbestos was exposed when trees were blown down in February 2005. This is utter nonsense: Paul Rowen, Elwyn Watkins and others were pictured beside the exposed asbestos in photographs published in the media in November 2004. If simple, undeniable facts appear to have been avoided so early in this planning process, it does not bode well for the future”.

The September 2004 letter formed part of 2 volumes of documents contained in a new ‘Asbestos Audit’ published by Encia, the developers’ consultants.

Campaigners from Save Spodden Valley have read the 2 volumes but are not satisfied with its overall content:

Jason Addy says:

“Unfortunately the new reports still appear to be almost as disappointing as the original ‘Dodgy Dossier’ submitted with the planning application of December 2004.”

“Although the report now grudgingly concedes there are problems with dumped asbestos in land to the North of the factory site, they still appear to deny a problem with asbestos directly around the factory site where 600+ homes and a children’s nursery are planned.”

“One important document that appears to still be missing from the new reports is a ‘2003 Site Contamination Drawing’. This was a document compiled with the help of long-serving TBA employees. The map suggests a wide variety of contamination, including from all types of asbestos- blue, brown and white, in many parts of the factory complex.”

Save Spodden Valley have copies of this 2003 map obtained as a result of Freedom of Information Act requests to Rochdale Council, the Health and Safety Executive and the Forestry Commission.

“One area where it is suggested asbestos slurry was dumped includes woodland to the east of the site up from the Bowling Green. “This area was untouched by soil contamination sampling last year –perhaps you can’t find what you don’t look for!?”

“If the developers and their experts are still insisting that there are no problems with contamination on the main development site then we are back to Square One. Avoiding real issues about contamination does not inspire confidence”.

“Mr Nick Bone, Encia’s Managing Director shocked a TBA Working Party meeting last month by saying they did not have the time to consult hundreds of former workers and residents. This was a very disappointing comment when considering the fact that asbestos can do so much harm. In a potentially £100 million pound development what price do you put on public health and consultation?”


Concerns about asbestos dumping to the south and east of the TBA site have been confirmed by retired construction worker Bryan Sutcliffe.

Mr Sutcliffe, now aged 65, worked for R&T Howarth’s at TBA for 7 years in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. The long- established local construction company had contracts to build new buildings as part of the asbestos factory’s post war expansion.

Old photographs from the 1930’s to the 1950’s show much disturbed soil on the eastern side of the factory complex. Former workers and residents have suggested that this was another part of the factory site where asbestos was dumped. Mr Sutcliffe says he worked in this area removing soil for the footings of new factory buildings. He drove his dumper truck to the north of the factory site and tipped the much waste beside Woodland’s Rd- the area reported on in January and March by Radio 4’s You and Yours programme.

Mr Sutcliffe is convinced that the soil he disturbed on the eastern part of the site contained asbestos. This is because he is now suffering from asbestos related pleural plaques- a scarring of the lungs that can only be caused by exposure to visible amounts of asbestos. He says he was not exposed to asbestos from any other workplace apart from his time as a dumper truck driver at TBA for R&T Howarth’s.

Mr Sutcliffe’s opinion is backed by other workers who suggest that land including “W” block, the newer parts around “B” Spinning and areas around the bowling green may still have asbestos waste dumped under these buildings. The planning application calls for these buildings to be demolished and crushed into rubble with the areas then used for houses and apartments.

“If they disturb land on this factory site – they could be unearthing a lot of trouble for this town” warns Mr Sutcliffe.

“I am very concerned about any future construction workers who may disturb asbestos on that site. Asbestos has harmed me over 40 years after working on the TBA site. I don’t want anyone else to be damaged by asbestos”.

Mr Sutcliffe also confirmed that the TBA site contains deep mine shafts:

“One dinnertime I parked my dumper truck up on TBA land. When I came back, it had disappeared down a huge hole. A mine shaft had appeared that went hundreds of feet down. The dumper truck was never recovered. The shaft was filled in with waste from the factory and capped. I dread to think what is dumped down there”.

Mr Sutcliffe is appealing for other R&T Howarth workers who know about the TBA site to contact Save Spodden Valley on 01706 644774.


Save Spodden Valley
- e-mail: SaveSpoddenValley@hotmail.com
- Homepage: http://www.Spodden-Valley.co.uk

Download this article in pdf format >>

Email this article to someone >>

Submit an addition or make a quick comment on this article >>

Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

Is there a dumper truck and asbestos waste deep under here?

04.05.2005 22:51


This photograph was taken just after the woodland was destroyed by Treelink in May 2004.
When the trees were ripped up- this capped pit head was uncovered.

Now accounts of what lies beneath are coming out.

Former T&N Health and Safety manager (and National Health and Safety Commissioner) Abdul Chowdry appears to have been vindicated by his assertions on BBC Radio 4 about dumping into flooded coal galleries under the troubled factory site.

This looks like a job for an old camcorder from ebay and 400 feet of rope !
Perhaps Time Team could do a bit of 'geophiz' around the site?

Save Spodden Valley
mail e-mail: savespoddenvalley@hotmail.com
- Homepage: http://www.spodden-valley.co.uk


Archived photo of exposed asbestos in November 2004

05.05.2005 00:38

This photograph can be seen at Spodden valley's website at:

 http://www.spodden-valley.co.uk/beforeandafter.htm

The story was also reported in the Rochdale Observer late December 2004 (0ver 2 months BEFORE these trees were supposed to have blown down and expose their roots)

 http://www.rochdaleobserver.co.uk/news/index/articles/article_id=21625.html

Save Spodden Valley


PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE learn to resize your pics

05.05.2005 09:18

We appreciate you posting stuff to increase our awareness of your campaign but the photos are just so HUGE. 6 megs each straight from the camera is crippling for everyone. Not only is it near impossible to see what the whole picture is about as one can only see bits of each pic at a time but because they take so long to download, they're off limits to anyone on dialup.

Using just about any photo editing software, it should be possible to resize them to no more than about 600 pixels in either vertical or horizontal dimension. The resize function is usually under "Image" on the top menu of your graphics program.

papa razzi


Publish

Publish your news

Do you need help with publishing?

Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

Manchester Topics

Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista

Manchester Actions 2010

Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands

Manchester Actions 2009

COP15 Climate Summit 2009
G20 London Summit
Guantánamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
University Occupations for Gaza

Manchester Actions 2008

2008 Days Of Action For Autonomous Spaces
Campaign against Carmel-Agrexco
Climate Camp 2008
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Smash EDO
Stop Sequani Animal Testing
Stop the BNP's Red White and Blue festival

Manchester Actions 2007

Climate Camp 2007
DSEi 2007
G8 Germany 2007
Mayday 2007
No Border Camp 2007

Manchester Actions 2006

April 2006 No Borders Days of Action
Art and Activism Caravan 2006
Climate Camp 2006
Faslane
French CPE uprising 2006
G8 Russia 2006
Lebanon War 2006
March 18 Anti War Protest
Mayday 2006
Oaxaca Uprising
Refugee Week 2006
Rossport Solidarity
SOCPA
Transnational Day of Action Against Migration Controls
WSF 2006

Manchester Actions 2005

DSEi 2005
G8 2005
WTO Hong Kong 2005

Manchester Actions 2004

European Social Forum
FBI Server Seizure
May Day 2004
Venezuela

Manchester Actions 2003

Bush 2003
DSEi 2003
Evian G8
May Day 2003
No War F15
Saloniki Prisoner Support
Thessaloniki EU
WSIS 2003

Languages

english

IMCs


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech