SHIPPING municipal waste to Guernsey is considered to be Alderney’s best short-term answer to stopping open burning at the Impot. It would also avert threats of legal action by the Health and Social Services Department.

Alderney States members are being asked to approve spending £120,000 on equipment needed to set up an export system to the Mont Cuet landfill site. This sum is likely to be met by a further increase in the occupier’s rate. This went up by 25% at the beginning of the year to cover the cost of recycling and an air curtain burner.

‘Undoubtedly there will be a need for a further increase in rates next year to cover the cost of a full year of the export operation,’ said General Services Committee chairman Barry Pengilley.

‘The [Guernsey] Public Services Department has confirmed its willingness to accept our waste for an initial trial period of one year and the necessary approvals concerning movement of the waste containers have been received from the Environmental Health Services and the Environment Department.’

General Services has spent the last three years trying to find an on-island solution to the waste disposal problem.

A recommendation by consultant Ramboll to purchase an incinerator from Danish firm Envikraft was dismissed because the States had no way of paying for it unless the money was borrowed.

A sub-committee, set up earlier this year to review the island’s waste disposal options, eventually concluded that shipping off-island was the most practical way forward.

‘In view of the need to bring an end to the open burning of waste as soon as possible and with the threat of legal action by the Health Department pending, the working party recommended that, as a solution which could be implemented in a relatively short period of time and without large expenditure of capital, equipment should be purchased to enable shipment of compacted waste to Guernsey,’ said Mr Pengilley.

He added that if successful, the export operation could become the long-term method of dealing with ‘black bag’ waste. It will also give the States more time to evaluate the alternatives.

‘In tandem with the proposed system, my committee intends to continue to promote the on-island separation and recycling of waste and the considerable co-operation of the public in this aspect of waste handling is to be commended.

‘If this can be increased, we may be able to reduce the amount that has to be shipped to Guernsey, each ton of which attracts a substantial gate fee and shipping costs.’

States members are also being asked to annul or approve an order that will give General Services the power to make the necessary adaptations in order for the island to comply with European shipping and port security regulations.

It will also vote on extending the period during which dogs and horses are banned from the beaches to include May. The current prohibition runs from June to September. The next Alderney States meeting is on 8 September.