If a toxic gas alarm sounded now...?

Harmless water vapour from Saltend

IF YOU HEARD the Toxic Alarm from Saltend Chemicals Park sounding off now... what would you do? This is the question that residents living in the proximity of Saltend should ask themselves and ask their neighbours:

You are out shopping in Hedon Town Centre; you are at a bus stop waiting for a bus; you are driving into Hull or on the way home after dropping the children off at school... when you hear the siren from Saltend begin to wail!

Sounding like a World War II siren, the sound is familiar enough to send the proverbial shiver down your spine. Your first reaction is likely to be "Is it a Test?", and if you can get within sight-line of Saltend, your eyes would probably turn towards the distinctive landscape of towers and chimneys. Is there any sign that anything is wrong?  Is there a distinctive cloud of poisonous, toxic gases visible? 
It might not necessarily be the case that vapours you see  - if you can see any at all - from the site are poisonous. The atmospheric conditions around the site quite often creates dramatic subjects for local photographers and these vapours are quite harmless.

You ask people around you if they are aware of a test taking place - everybody else is experiencing the same quandary: Is it real or a test? Should we head off back home, pick the kids up, shelter in the nearest shop.....???

In the event of an actual toxic gas release and the sounding of one of the five emergency sirens from Saltend, then the above scenario of confusion will probably be experienced by the majority of people hearing any toxic alarm alert. Rather than decisive action a state of uncertainty would exist. Yet the advice from the five major companies based at the Saltend Chemical Parks is clear and unequivocal. It was published in a booklet Major Emergency Advice booklet that was distributed to residents locally in May 2010 (do you still have yours?):

You should GO IN, STAY IN, TUNE IN and wait for the ALL CLEAR. 

GO IN doors. Do not collect your children from school, they will be properly cared for;

STAY IN and switch off ventilation fans, air conditioning units and all sources of ignition including gas and electrical heating appliances. Block incoming draughts and close windows. Do not light matches or naked flames. Do not smoke. Stay calm and rest;

TUNE IN to a local radio station; BBC Radio Humberside on 95.9 FM or 1485 AM, KCFM on 99.8 FM, Viking FM on 96.9 FM, MAGIC 1161 AM or GALAXY on 105.8 AM and follow the instructions given. Do not use the phone to contact the companies, keep their lines free for emergency use;

ALL CLEAR. Wait inside until the all clear is given or you are given other advice. Messages giving the all clear will be issued by the Emergency Services, Company Representatives or local radio.

At the time of publishing this in 2010, the Hedon Blog asked:

"DO YOU FEEL RE-ASSURED BY THIS BOOKLET? CAN YOU HEAR THE TEST ALARMS? WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO IF AN ALARM SOUNDED NOW?"

In light of a minor release of non-toxic vapour from Saltend on Monday 26th September 2011, and calls from concerned workers that the toxic alarm should have been sounded, then perhaps we need to re-visit the Major Emergency Advice booklet - and ask some pertinent questions: In the light of a major release of toxic vapours from Saltend - then are we really prepared?

PhotoSaltend: Andy Beecroft

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In case you didn't know!? Yorkshire Water Drop-ins in Hedon on Wednesday 24th August

YORKSHIRE WATER, besieged by complaints over the odours emanating from its Saltend Waste Water Treatment Works, have responded to public and political pressure by organising a series of drop-in sessions on Wednesday 24th August 2011 from 3pm - 8pm.

The sessions take place at Hedon Town Hall which is a rather small venue considering the hundreds of people that have taken the time to complain or sign a petition about the ongoing odour problem from the Treatment Works. Yorkshire Water say that they will hold five separate sessions, starting on the hour, each hour, from 3pm. This will include a presentation, followed by a chance to speak to key staff. So those people that know about the event can presumably choose which one they wish to attend - it would be just unfortunate for them if everyone decided to turn up at 6pm!

The key phrase in the last paragraph was "..those people that know about the event...". And therein lies a problem! Yorkshire Water announced the drop-in sessions on its website and subscribers were informed that "new information had been added" to that site on Wednesday 17th August. Those who studied the website would have realised the 'new information' was the one-week notice that the drop-ins were taking place. It may have been naive of anti-smell campaigners to expect follow-up publicity and letter to local customers about the drop-ins - but that naivety seems to have been rewarded with an event that the public seem largely unaware of?

The Yorkshire Water Smells Campaign will do what it can to advise customers of the drop-ins - but it seems that the decision to book a small venue for the event was probably correct given the foresight that notice was short and publicity scarce!

Local Councillor John Dennis has urged people to attend the drop-ins in a comment on the Hedon Blog: "I hope all you Hedon bloggers' take this opportunity, and that you tell all your family and friends to turn up too... it is not acceptable that the company that has given us the problem should be allowed to get away with it, at least without facing the people affected by their actions." 

Fellow Ward Councillor Mike Bryan has given his apologies and is unable to attend the drop-ins, but has also encouraged people to turn up and have their say!

So just in case you did not know...: Yorkshire Water Public Drop-in - Wednesday 24 August, Hedon Town Hall, 3pm - 8pm

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Yorkshire Water - "Saltend Smells" Campaign Resources

PUBLIC RESOURCES used as background information and to help and inform the community campaign titled "Yorkshire Water Saltend Smells!". These will be added to as we build these resources up:

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Redhall: will "vigorously" pursue damages totalling £16.7m against Vivergo Fuels

REDHALL ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS LTD has claimed a victory in its ongoing dispute with Saltend based Vivergo Fuels.

Redhall had its contract ended by Vivergo Fuels in March 2011 for falling behind on its contractual obligations. But an independent adjudication has found that Vivergo Fuels had unlawfully attempted to terminate its contract with the Company and, by denying the Company's workforce access to the site, had repudiated the pipework contract for the new bio-ethanol plant at Saltend.

In a statement on Insider Media Redhall has said it will "vigorously" pursue damages against Vivergo Fuels totalling £16.7m. This includes the costs of settlement with the Company's former employees on the Vivergo site and legal fees.

Local people and commuters became aware of the dispute in March as a result of massive queues and tailbacks on the roads leading up to the Saltend construction site. The dispute between the two companies had prompted industrial action by unions acting on behalf of 430 workers who were effectively 'locked out'.

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Hedon Blog launches Petition against the Saltend Smells

THE HEDON BLOG has taken the unusual step of launching a petition to help galvanise local action against the foul odours, from Yorkshire Water's Waste Water Treatment Works. The persistent stink has been making local residents life almost unbearable during the whole of July 2011.

The Blog usually tries to take a neutral position on most matters, but on this occasion has felt compelled to act as a local mouthpiece. Ray Duffill the website Editor explains:

"The smells from the Saltend site have become unbearable during the last 5 weeks. Comments on the Blog, on Fix My Street and on Facebook have shown the disgust and revulsion of local residents. Anecdotal evidence from local people reveals that people have been physically sick from the stench, and local asthma sufferers have experienced breathing difficulties. While the area has basked in glorious sunshine and heat, residents have been forced to close windows and abandon their gardens because of the stink." 

Ray continued: "At the presentation about the waste water site I attended in May, Neil Dewis, Yorkshire Water's Manager of Central Control and Optimisation, apologised for his company's 'no-smell' claims made prior to the site being built in 2000. It was "obviously wrong of the company to have made those claims" stated Mr Dewis who then want on to explain that the new £3.5m odour control unit - which he hoped would be operational by November, rather than December as originally scheduled - would see a "significant reduction" in odours but he could "not give a guarantee" that odours would be completely eliminated."

"Whilst people living and working in the proximity of the site continue to experience the impacts and effects of the Treatment Works, they need some recourse to force Yorkshire Water to act to reduce incidents. The petition calls upon local councils to treat the odours as a 'statutory nuisance'. If a statutory nuisance exists in your area then legal action can be taken to force the 'polluter' to act. Failure to act can be a criminal offence."

"The Treatment Works do carry out an essential service. Local councillors, officials and community leaders are willing to work with Yorkshire Water to improve things - and have been doing so for 11 years. But at the moment local people and communities are powerless to act. However, if the smells from the site are deemed a statutory nuisance then we can start to fight back and force improvements!"

Residents are asked to sign and share the online petition on the Hedon Blog and reproduced below. *Note: Please do not sign if you have already signed a paper copy.

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Vivergo Fuels dispute: Union contests breach of public order charge

A NATIONAL OFFICIAL OF THE GMB UNION will attend a preliminary hearing at Hull Magistrates Court today 17th May 2011, to answer a Public Order Act charge in connection with the ‘lock out’ dispute at the Vivergo Fuels site in Saltend.

Phil Whitehurst, an official for the Engineering Construction section of the GMB, was arrested on Wednesday 4th May while he was attending a protest against the lock out of 430 workers at the construction site at the BP Chemicals Park.

Mr Whitehurst was taken into police custody at Hull police station and video footage that he took of the event confiscated. He was released later in the day having been charged with being in breach of Section 14 of the Public Order Act.

GMB is fully supporting its national official who will be pleading not guilty and have appointed a human rights lawyer to represent Mr Whitehurst at the hearing and will be contesting the charge.

Further talks, convened by ACAS, took place yesterday between the employers and the Unions. This follows consideration by the workforce of a proposal put by the employers to pay £3,700 to employees to end the dispute. Previous talks have failed to resolve the dispute. However, the GMB reports that the number of members who wish to go back to work on the site is reducing on a daily basis.

The 430 workers have been locked out of the site since 14th March 2011.

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Call for National Day of Action over Vivergo Fuels dispute

SHOP STEWARDS representing Construction workers from across the country are meeting over the next two days and will discuss a call for a national day of action in support of 400 workers they say have been 'locked-out' for 2 months by Vivergo Fuels.

Talks aimed at resolving the dispute, which has led to local traffic queues and other problems on protest days, collapsed at the end of April. Other workers, scaffolders and electricians at the bi-ethanol construction site at Saltend have already shown a willingness to walk out in support of their colleagues when asked. But the latest call from the industry's national shop stewards forum, is for a national day of action which would involve construction workers from around the country taking part in some form of action.

The GMB union has already started a hardship fund for the workers and appeals are being made for financial support from other engineering workers' unions.

The date for any planned day of action is likely to be announced within the next 48 hours.

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Talks fail, protests continue at Vivergo Fuels

TALKS AIMED AT ENDING the industrial dispute at Saltend have failed and protests at the Vivergo Fuels site are set to continue.

Trade union members involved in the dispute met last week and rejected the latest proposals on the table offered via the arbitration process. The deal involved the workers being offered a payout to cover unpaid wages since the dispute began - according to the Yorkshire Post Redhall Engineering Solutions, who originally 'employed' the men through a national industry agreement, deny any liability but agreed to contribute £1.2m towards such a deal.

The latest statement from the GMB union says that the dispute is about jobs, maintaining national agreements and not just about money. Paul Kenny, GMB General Secretary says:

"The decision by the workforce to continue to protest about their unlawful treatment shows their determination for both justice and to show Vivergo and BP that their jobs and rights cannot be bought for a few measly pounds."

National Shop stewards are meeting on Wednesday April 27th to discuss further action in support of the workers and have raised concerns that if the deal had been accepted it would have led to employers been able to cherry-pick who worked at the site with fears that union activists may have been intimidated or blacklisted.

Vivergo Fuels - which is a consortium of BP, Du Point and British Sugar - made calls last week, via a letter leaked to the Hull Daily Mail, for the deal to be put to a secret ballot of the men involved.

Meanwhile, the dispute - and ongoing traffic hold-ups for local residents heading into Hull during each protest - is set to continue from this morning.

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Saltend: Vivergo Fuels dispute update

Solidarity Demonstration for Saltend workers

TALKS ARE TAKING PLACE at ACAS (the arbitration service) today to try and find a solution to the dispute at the Vivergo Fuels construction site at Saltend.

The engineering construction workforce at Saltend was employed by a range of contractors under a National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry. Redhall Engineering Solutions Ltd was awarded the contract for mechanical piping but had that contract terminated by Vivergo Fuels.

Vivergo and Redhall are in dispute over who is legally responsible for the displaced workforce.

The GMB union has started a hardship fund for the workers and say that they will "bring the injustice of this situation and the workers protest to a wider audience of public and civil institutions." Nationally Shop Stewards (site-based union organisers) are meeting to discuss the "deterioration in industrial relations in the industry" resulting from this dispute.

If the meeting today does not deliver a mutually acceptable solution then there is a strong possibility that the dispute will escalate with protests continuing at Saltend.

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Protest March in support of workers at Saltend construction site

AROUND 800 PEOPLE marched through Hull City Centre yesterday in support of workers who have been "locked out" from their jobs at the Vivergo Fuels construction site at Saltend.

Trade Union representatives from different construction sites around the country joined local supporters from the private and public sectors in Hull in a serious but buoyant protest march. Representative of the workers Keith Gibson said BP was the leading company behind the Vivergo consortium which also included DuPont and British Sugar and should be the target of action to encourage it to act on behalf of the workforce.

Vivergo Fuels have previously issued a statement saying they had cancelled the contract with Redhall Solutions Ltd who were employing the workers because the works should have been completed by February 2011.

Keith Gibson said at the workers rally yesterday "There has been a great turnout and we are here to step up the action and hit management where we can. The job's going nowhere. There is four to six months work outstanding and we want to go back and finish that job."

As well as supporting the construction workers the protest march took on a wider "anti-cuts" theme and was joined by workers from Hull City Council. One speaker from the National Shop Stewards movement called for a one-day general strike in a campaign to force the Government to back down on its austerity programme.

The dispute continues.

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Traffic disruption into Hull expected again as Saltend dispute continues

TRAFFIC PROBLEMS may be experienced again this morning on roads into Hull as the dispute at Vivergo Fuels escalates today.

The biggest protest to date is expected today (Monday 28th March 2011) from 6am as trade unions continue their action against the termination of their contracts. Last week a similar protest caused massive tailbacks in traffic affecting Hedon and Preston.

A protest march in support of the workers will be held later this morning in Hull which is likely to see workers from other industries and areas of the country showing their support.

Motorists can expect to face traffic problems on the roads around the BP Plant at Saltend, up until 10:30am this morning.

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Beyond the traffic disruption - Saltend industrial dispute

LOCAL COMMUTERS AND MOTORISTS EXPERIENCED massive disruption on the roads leading to Saltend yesterday between 6am and 9am. Traffic was reduced to a crawl as massive tailbacks clogged up the roads through Hedon and Preston.

The disruption was caused by the ongoing industrial dispute at the Vivergo Fuels site at the Saltend industrial complex. Hull Road leading to Saltend Lane was closed by police as protesters cars were parked on the roadside. Some traffic problems may be experienced for the rest of the week, but major traffic disruption could result next Monday 28th March when the dispute is expected to escalate.

The industrial dispute behind the traffic problems arose on March 11th when Vivergo Fuels, who are constructing a £200 million pound bio-fuel plant at Saltend, terminated a contract with Redhall Engineering Solutions Ltd for falling behind on its contractual obligations. Redhall in turn issued a notice to approximately 430 workers stating that as from Monday 14 March 2011 they would no longer be employed by them and should turn up for work to be transferred to either Vivergo Fuels Ltd or any contractor that is given the contract. When the workers turned up for work on the 14th March, Vivergo Fuels through its agents denied any liability to employ the staff. The main union involved, the GMB have said that the workforce are effectively "locked out".

Vivergo Fuels is a consortium company made up from a partnership of BP, DuPont and British Sugar. Vivergo Fuels manage the project via another company Aker Process part of the Jacob's Engineering Group. The workforce are employed by a range of contractors in accordance with an industry wide agreement with the trade unions, but the range of companies and agencies involved means that 'employer - contractor - employee' formal legal relationships are far from clear.

Redhall have said said the workforce employed on the site have been transferred under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment) regulations to Vivergo Fuels. They claim that £14 million of costs on the contract are still unpaid and have referred the matter to their legal representatives.

The GMB meanwhile has highlighted the case of the workers who have been left in limbo from all this:

"This leaves the workers in a impossible situation in that they have uncertainty of employment and are not receiving wages from 14 March 2011. Workers from the other contractors have been sent home on full pay."

The dispute is expected to escalate next week as union members from across the country will hold demonstrations in support of their Saltend members.

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Rightmove Places - Househunters can share and discover the HU12 area!

Rightmove.co.uk is one of the most well known property websites and is free to use. Although not an estate agent Rightmove has created one of the most comprehensive property information databases in the country.

Rightmove is currently testing a version of its new web service Rightmoveplaces at www.rightmoveplaces.co.uk which will allow house-hunters to find out more about the place in which their property - or proposed property - is located. The new website acts like a cross between a review website and a social network. Users can post information and photos about a place, and write about their opinions of services in an area i.e. character and personality, neighbourliness, restaurants and eating, etc.

There are Rightmove Places pages already set up for Hedon, Preston, Paull and Saltend. It is currently available only in Beta which means it is being tested and subject to change until a version based on user experience is determined. However, it already seems a very useful service.

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Smells: MP tours Saltend Waste Water Treatment Works

GRAHAM STUART, MP for Beverley and Holderness has recently toured the waste water treatment works Saltend as a guest of Yorkshire Water officials. The treatment works is one of the biggest in Europe and treats 40 million gallons of waste water every day. It has been a source of controversy in the local HU12 area due to persistent problems with bad smells from the site.

The tour led by Yorkshire Water's chief executive, Richard Flint, on Friday 26th November, was staged to show the MP just how the company plans to reduce odours at the site. Mr Stuart heard more about the company's £3.25million project to tackle odours through the installation of a new, state-of-the-art odour control unit which will be the biggest in the region and twice the size of the current system at the plant.

Construction on the new odour control unit is expected to begin in February 2011 and completed by December in the same year.

The company has recently made a number of changes to the way it manages the day-to-day running of the plant to help minimise odours. These include regular inspections, including carbon sampling to predict potential changes alongside regular maintenance of the current odour control unit to ensure it's performing exactly as it should. Richard Flint, said about the visit:

"We were delighted to welcome Mr Stuart to the works and hope the tour we gave him helped convey just how committed we are to tackling the problems of odours at the site. Due to the sheer size and nature of the works, it's likely that there will always be some odour, but we're confident that our carefully considered investment will ensure we meet industry standards. I'd also like to say thank you to our customers in the area. We recognise the site has had its problems and they've shown a huge amount of patience whilst we've been working on solutions. Now we are in position to make a positive difference and that's exactly what we intend to do."

Customers will be kept up-to-date on the latest progress at the works through opt-in email and text alerts with further details around these being communicated in writing. Yorkshire Water has also said that it will continue with its weekly odour management meetings with environmental health officers from the East Riding of Yorkshire Council and its quarterly liaison meetings with ward and local parish councillors.

For more information on Yorkshire Water's investment into its Saltend works, visit Hull and Saltend News.

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Yorkshire Water to attend Council Cabinet on Odour Problem

YORKSHIRE WATER have been invited to attend East Riding Council's ruling Cabinet meeting to address concerns about the persistent foul odours that emanate from the Waste Water Treatment works at Saltend.

The invite to Yorkshire Water was issued following the Cabinet Meeting on 20th July which had highlighted the long standing odour problems from the site. The meeting had agreed that "if necessary" the Council would review an earlier decision not to pursue the odours as a Statutory Nuisance at this stage.

The Council has previously agreed to work with the water company - rather than treat the company as a public nuisance - on measures to manage the smells, including Yorkshire Water's proposed £3m 'odour mitigation works' on the site.

The Cabinet Meeting will take place on Tuesday 19th October at 10.30am at County Hall, Beverley. The public are entitled and welcome to attend these meetings.

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Major Emergency Advice from Saltend Chemicals Park

RESIDENTS IN Hedon, Paull and Preston will have recently received a 16-page booklet from the chemical companies based at Saltend.

In a stark reminder of some of the unique risks of living so close to Saltend, the MAJOR EMERGENCY ADVICE booklet explains the actions that local people should take in the event of a major incident taking place involving dangerous substances.

In short the advice from all the companies is that in the event of hearing the emergency sirens from any one of the five companies listed, at any time other than the nominated weekly test times, then residents should consider it:

...to be prudent to go indoors and listen to local radio stations for information updates"

Residents should:

GO IN doors. Do not collect your children from school, they will be properly cared for;

STAY IN and switch off ventilation fans, air conditioning units and all sources of ignition including gas and electrical heating appliances. Block incoming draughts and close windows. Do not light matches or naked flames. Do not smoke. Stay calm and rest;

TUNE IN to a local radio station; BBC Radio Humberside on 95.9 FM or 1485 AM, KCFM on 99.8 FM, Viking FM on 96.9 FM, MAGIC 1161 AM or GALAXY on 105.8 AM and follow the instructions given. Do not use the phone to contact the companies, keep their lines free for emergency use;

ALL CLEAR. Wait inside until the all clear is given or you are given other advice. Messages giving the all clear will be issued by the Emergency Services, Company Representatives or local radio.

So - Do you feel re-assured by this booklet? Can you hear the test alarms? Would you know what to do if an alarm sounded now?

The companies featured in the booklet are:

• Air Products
• BP
• INEOS
• NIPPON GOHSEI
• Vivergo Fuels

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Yorkshire Water to invest £3m in tackling odour problem

THE HULL DAILY MAIL website reported yesterday morning that Yorkshire Water is to spend £3m in an attempt to resolve the foul stench from its Saltend treatment works.

According to the Mail the work involves building an additional odour control unit and is expected to start in April. This decision follows the company's decision last October to employ a consultant 'pong expert'.

Yorkshire Water has yet to formally announce the move on its Hull and Saltend news webpage.

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