Green waste plants’ compost could threaten water supply
Thursday 18th March 2010, 1:00PM GMT.
Putting more nutrients on the land than it can absorb risks contaminating the water supply. Compost from alternative waste plants can be high in nitrogen and Guernsey Water has doubts about its extensive use. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0933388)
COMPOST from any of the alternative waste plants being put forward by anti-incinerator campaigners could be used only if it had very low levels of nitrogen, says the head of Guernsey Water.
And director of water services Andrew Redhead said that there was little available land to spread even safe compost on.
If the States again throws out the Suez waste proposals at this month’s meeting, the island will be committed to finding an alternative strategy.
Several ways of dealing with food waste have been suggested, but Mr Redhead said strict limits on the amount of nitrogen permitted in drinking water restricted the amount of compost that could be spread on the land.
He added that the levels are already quite high.
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ship it off island with the recycling or turn it into liquid and pump it out to sea.
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LOL classic manipulation by government. Turning green waste as the pollutant. You have to laugh at the obvious organisation of this media piece by the PR machine.
I bet this crops up in Mr Spruce’s speech as new evidence
Shameful
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Toxic ash won’t affect drinking water at all then!
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So lets see …..
you can buy compost from any garden centre which will have been made in a similar fashion … no issue with this?
Farmers can spread slurry on fields …. no issue with this ?
The resevoir it self can be stocked with fish (excretions very high in nitrates) …. no issue with this ?
You can buy nitrate fertilizers (most common sort) and spread them where you like ….. no issue with this ?
I can’t see how compost use would increase if it was produced locally rather than imported.
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Jamie,
I suppose the questions are
Would we create too much? IF so where do we store it?
WHo would want to buy it given what may be in it? (As a keen gardener I create my own from garden waste/uncooked food waste (peelings, egg shells, tea bags etc) but not sure I would ever buy compost that was created from anything other than natural contents (cooked food, left over chinese, nappies are definately out!!)
On the plus I suppose with such a green island it may be a g
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There is NO THREAT to the water supply from composting or landfill of waste unless you’re REALLY REALLY STUPID with your site.
Guernsye is made of granite, there’s no threat of water leaching from landfills to the reseviour. This is yet more dishonest spin by the authorities, yet more environmental junk science
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