Wrexham,North Wales - Toxic tar clean up costs mean Rhos black lagoon stays

Published date: 31 December 2015 | 

Published by: Staff reporter
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A MASSIVE clean-up price tag is preventing a beauty spot from fulfilling its potential, possibly even from becoming a new country park.

 

A proposed operation to clean up a toxic lagoon in Rhos has stalled since the staggering £40m cost was revealed.

 

More than 94,000 tonnes of liquid tar needs to be dredged from the former brick clay quarry at Llwyneinion – an operation that would take four years to complete, based on removing 120-150 tonnes of material a day

 

The £40m estimate is based on exporting the acid tar to Germany to be used as fuel. But if a UK outlet could be found, the costs could be “reduced significantly”.

 

The current financial climate of austerity means no one is willing to stump up the cash to fund the clean-up.

 

Cllr Paul Pemberton, who represents Ponciau on Wrexham Council, said he had “hit a brick wall” in his efforts to find the money to carry out the operation.

 

He said: “We would like to see it resolved rather than left as it is so the site can be made safe. It could be turned into a country park or we could reclaim the land for a number of different uses, whether that is leisure or something else.

 

“At the moment we are in limbo because no one wants to part with any money. In today’s economic climate, we’ve absolutely hit a brick wall.”

 

Cllr Pemberton added the site was still being monitored but, without funding, nothing more can be done.

 

The poisonous depths of the lagoon had never been fully explored until 2010 when a scientific investigation was carried out by environmental engineering specialists from Germany.

 

Four scientists from Baufeld Engineering took to the water aboard a special raft and extracted 73 samples of acid tar and lagoon water which revealed a high concentration of pollution hydrocarbons, poly-aromatic hydrocarbons and sulphur.

 

The poisonous tar, a by-product of oil refining, was dumped in the lagoon before 1972.

 

Acid tar of a similar type found at Llwyneinion has been used as a secondary fuel by power companies in Europe – but not in the UK.

 

More than 94,000 tonnes of liquid tar needs to be dredged from the former brick clay quarry at Llwyneinion, an operation that would take four years to complete.

see-http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/156734/toxic-tar-clean-up-costs-mean-rhos-black-lagoon-stays.aspx