§ Mrs. McCurleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is now in a position to make a statement about dredging in Faslane bay and the means by which he intends to dispose of the waste, and in particular that part of it which is contaminated with asbestos.
§ Sir George YoungOn behalf of the Ministry of Defence, the Property Services Agency is today letting a contract to dredge an area of Faslane bay in the vicinity of the proposed shiplift and finger jetty to enable submarines to dock there. The work entails the dredging of some 65,000 cubic metres of silt and transporting it by barge to the recognised underwater dumping ground in the Firth of Clyde between Cloch point and Strone point. Work is expected to start on site within the next few weeks.
Although this is essentially a straightforward dredging operation, there is known to be asbestos on the sea bed in Faslane bay arising from the former civil shipbreaking activities there. The quantity of asbestos is estimated to be only a small proportion of the dredged material by weight overall.
The Property Services Agency, employing specialist consultants Balfours, has taken great care to specify environmental constraints on dredging and disposal activities that will ensure the minimum of disturbance to the marine environment.
Even though the asbestos levels are low, it has been decided in view of public concern about asbestos that the selected contractor will be licensed under the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 and may only employ workers properly trained in the correct working and hygiene procedures. The Health and Safety Executive has been fully informed of the proposed working method and is satisfied that no risk to the health of those undertaking the work is involved. Masters of vessels engaged in the work will be provided with details of the correct requirements. Throughout the operation and for a period thereafter, there will be careful monitoring around the area of dredging and the dumping ground and in selected locations around the estuary. This will be carried out by specialist consultants on behalf of the Property Services Agency. Monitoring stations will be set up to measure levels of turbidity, suspended solids and dissolved oxygen as well as asbestos content. Stringent monitoring levels will be set. The Clyde river purification board will also carry out its routine monitoring of turbidity, suspended solids and dissolved oxygen around the dredging area.
In resolving the best approach, the Property Services Agency has discussed in detail with the appropriate authorities the proposed working method and the most suitable method of disposal. From these discussions it is clear that the site between Cloch point and Strone point 364W is the best solution on environmental and economic grounds. It is a regularly used dumping ground; it is well charted and known to fishermen as such. The material from the dredging operation will be discharged through opening the bottom of each vessel within a restricted area in a mean water depth of 59 in and marine scientists from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland are satisfied that if, as planned, the dumping is properly controlled, material will not spread beyond the designated area. Depositing the dredged material elsewhere in the Gareloch was ruled out because of the risk of adversely affecting the oxygen regime; the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland ruled out "The Hole" off Rosneath point for fishery reasons anti Birch point off Arran because of the important fishery grounds around the periphery of the dump site and to prevent interference with DAFS monitoring in the area.
Although a Government Department does not require a dredging licence, the Property Services Agency has obtained one from the Clyde port authority. In addition, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, which would normally license deposits in the sea under Part II of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985, the Clyde river purification board and the Marine Directorate of the Department of Transport have confirmed that the agency's proposals are acceptable to them. Local fishing interests have also been consulted and have confirmed that they have no objections.
None of the asbestos contaminated material bagged and stored on site last year at the Clyde submarine base, nor any onshore material, will be deposited under water. Entirely separate arrangements have been made to deal with that material, as announced last year, and work is already under way.