Friends of the Earth and North West Transport Activists’ Round Table raises concerns over pollution

Jul 2 2009 by Mark Smith, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

OBJECTORS warn that Halton’s industrial legacy could come back to haunt it if the Mersey Gateway scheme is given the go- ahead.

In its closing statement to the inquiry, The Alliance – which consists of The North West Transport Activists’ Round Table and Friends of the Earth -–claimed there could be ‘knock-on effects’ from construction.

Lillian Burns, group spokeswoman, said: “The fact that the Halton area is one with very serious contamination issues is accepted by all parties.

“But this does not mean it would have been appropriate not to air concerns about the situation during these proceedings, particularly as the depth and breadth of contamination is so great.

“Mr Straker (QC for Halton Borough Council) in his cross-examination of the author of this statement made the point that whatever is built in Halton would have to contend with the contamination issues.

“This is so, but regeneration proposals on land in Widnes or Runcorn would only impact on the River Mersey in so much as they would create additional run-off.

“It would not risk stirring up 150 years of chemical waste or altering the flow of the river.

“A key point is that the river was used as the convenient waste disposal system for much of the time the chemical industry has existed in this area prior to the imposition of regulations to stop it.

“So, one of the things that is different about this project than any other land-based one is the impacts on the river, the river banks, the silts and the trapped contaminants in them, and the knock-on impacts there might be as a result of building in this tidal area.”

She added: “There is also the issue of air and noise pollution in relation to widening the Central Expressway and the subsequent impacts.”