Sheryll Murray MP made the following statement following the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) announcement of the findings of an independent review of the Rame Head disposal site:
“I met the Minister and also the Chairman of the MMO on Tuesday and am disappointed that the Dumping will not stop. I believe that it is unacceptable to dispose of any dredged material into the Rame Head site.
“This report has been independently compiled by a leading marine scientist and peer reviewed. It is unfortunate that it cannot be identified whether evidence of litter is of a historical nature, disposed of at a time when there were no controls.
“However, I welcome that at last the MMO are keen to engage with, listen to and involve local people. The report contains recommendations for further work and I hope that funding can be made available to ensure that future studies are carried out in a balanced way to gather definitive evidence that will lead to preserving our beautiful Bay.
“The report acknowledges ‘A slight adjustment to the boundary of the license area, enabling disposal in a rocky area with greater potential for offshore disposal may be beneficial’.”
Ends
The MMO recommendation:
Following the review, the MMO agree that disposal activities at the site are compliant with the law (Food and Environment Protection Act 1985) and within environmental limits. The MMO recognises that while the activities at the site are legally and environmentally acceptable, there remain local concerns that we want to help to address.
We will work with those people in the local community and industry who have an interest in the area to work with us to find a local solution. We will ask those people in the local community and industry who have an interest in the area to work with us to find a local solution. We have already agreed with the Tamar Estuary Consultative Forum to explore local options.
In the longer term, the marine planning process will consider disposal activities in England on an area by area basis taking into account the wider context of all activities taking place in our seas including disposal sites and other uses of the marine area. The marine planning process will also provide opportunities through an agreed statement of public participation to consider stakeholder concerns, potential conflicts and an assessment of economic, social, and environmental impacts using the best available evidence.
The full information is here: http://www.marinemanagement.org.uk/works/ramehead.htm
For further information please contact Sheryll Murray’s office on 01579 344428