No solution yet for disposal of Peel Marina contaminated silt

A solution is yet to be found for the disposal of thousands of tonnes of silt dredged from a Manx harbour, the infrastructure minister has said.

The waste, which is contaminated with lead and cadmium, has been drained and stored in a temporary site since being taken from Peel Marina in 2020.

Tim Crookall said it could not be dumped at any of the island's current waste disposal facilities.

New landfill and reprocessing sites were being looked into, he added.

The minister described the issue as a "huge problem" for the government, with more than 3,000 tonnes of silt deposited into Peel Harbour by the River Neb each year.

In 2019 planners granted the government permission to build a temporary "lagoon" to hold the 44,000 tonnes of silt, which is contaminated with heavy metals as a result of historic mining activity.

The material had caused difficulties for boat owners trying to access berths in the marina prior to the dredging.

Mr Crookall said he was aware planning approval for the site was due to expire in 2024 and the government was working "continuously" on finding a solution.

He told Tynwald testing showed the silt was a mixture of "inert waste, and stable non-reactive waste", and there was "too much" of it to be stored at the Wright's Pit North rubbish tip in Bride.

Separating the two types of waste to make disposal easier had also been ruled out as it would be too expensive, he said.

Solutions could include a newly developed waste facility as well as exporting the silt off-island, he added.

Why not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and Twitter? You can also send story ideas to [email protected]