Peel silt removal plan will meet environmental standards says an MHK

Plans to move thousands of tonnes of contaminated silt from Peel Marina to a temporary lagoon have been ‘fairly scrutinised’, according to the MHK who’s behind them.

DOI member Tim Baker says by working closely with DEFA and listening to groups like the Manx Wildlife Trust, environmental standards have been met.

He’s paid tribute to the work of a cross-government steering group, after the first phase of its project to deal with the waste was passed by the planning committee on Monday (4 Mar).

Mr Baker is also the committee chairman, so had to leave the room whilst the decision was made.

He says there was no conflict of interest in working with DEFA as the environmental regulator to develop the plan, and not to do so would’ve been naive.

If no appeals are lodged, the department will soon be able to construct a temporary lagoon to drain the silt, pumping the waste water back into the River Neb.

Once dredged, the silt will be taken in trucks to the facility, which is in a field behind the Peel Power Station.

Mr Baker says there’s only a narrow window in which dredging can take place this year, so initially the silt will be transported in vans, but the long-term aim is to pipe the material directly from the marina into the lagoon.

The issue has dogged marina users for years, with an estimated 45,000 tonnes of silt needing to be removed.