silt sampling and disposal on BCN network

The request was partially successful.

Dear British Waterways Board,

I am writing to make an open government request for all the
information to which I am entitled under the freedom of information act.

In order to assist you with this request, I am outlining my query as specifically as possible.

If however this request is too wide or too unclear, I would be grateful if you could contact me as I understand that under the act, you are required to advise and assist requesters.

I am requesting whether British Waterways tests silt samples to detect potential historic contamination of canals on their network and who carries out this testing. Could you tell me how BW disposes of silt on the BCN canal network and what chemicals are tested for and who carries out these tests and if evidence of phosphatic muds and or elemental phosphorus has ever been detected on the network as a consequence of historic transport of such cargo?
Do you also hold any information on fires linked to this method of transporting this form of waste via the BCN network?

I understand that under the act, I should be entitled to a response within 20 working days.
I would be grateful if you could confirm that you have received this request. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future via this email address.

Yours faithfully,

Mr Carroll

Information Request,

Dear Mr Carroll

Silt sampling and disposal on the Birmingham canal network.

Thank you for your request for information dated 19^th July 2010.

I understand that you have requested the following information:

1. Does British Waterways test silt samples to detect potential historic
contamination of canals on their network and who carries out this testing.

2. Could you tell me how BW disposes of silt on the Birmingham Canal
Network and what chemicals are tested for and who carries out these tests
and if evidence of phosphatic mud's and/or elemental phosphorus has ever
been detected on the network as a consequence of historic transport of
such cargo?

3. Do you also hold any information on fires linked to this method of
transporting this form of waste via the BCN?

I am pleased to inform you that once we have confirmed the extent to which
the regulations permit the release of the information which you have
requested a response will be sent within a 20 working day timescale from
the date we received your request.

Yours Sincerely

Chris Gray

Information Officer

Information Request,

4 Attachments

Dear Mr Carroll

Further to my correspondence with you of 19^thJuly 2010 I am responding to
your request for all documents regarding:

1. Does BW test silt samples to detect contamination?

BW test silt samples when it carries out dredging works and also when it
carried out the national survey in 1992 (see paper attached, Beckwith et
al 1995)

2. Who carried this out?

In 1992 details are given in paper Beckwith et al 1995. For dredging
projects it will depend upon who is carrying out the dredging as to who is
sampling, it is often the contractor or their agent although BW may have
taken some preliminary samples.

3. How does BW dispose of silt on the BCN?

It depends on the quality of the silt and the availability of land.
Various papers give various options (off site to merchant landfill, use of
our own landfills in the past, processing by mobile plant [see Bromhead,
J.C. and Beckwith, P.R. (1994) Environmental Dredging on the Birmingham
Canals: Water Quality and Sediment Treatment, Journal of Institution of
Water and Environmental Management, 8, pp 350 -359] and deposit as
activity exempt from licensing in certain areas where material is
suitable.

4. What chemicals are tested?

Details are given in paper Beckwith et al 1995 of the parameters that
samples were analyzed for in 1992. This has reduced to:

pH; Arsenic; Barium; Cadmium; Chromium (total) Copper; Lead; Mercury;
Nickel; Selenium; Zinc; Sulphide; Total Cyanide; Molybdenum; Boron;
speciated PAH; TPH. Additional parameters added based on local
circumstances - recent pollutions, adjacent site history, etc.

5. Who carries this out?

In 1992 details are given in paper Beckwith et al 1995. For dredging
projects it will depend upon who is carrying out the dredging as to who is
sampling, it is often the contractor or their agent although BW may have
taken some preliminary samples.

6. Has evidence of phosphatic muds/elemental phosphorus ever been
detected as a consequence of historic transport?

BW has no records of phosphatic muds/elemental phosphorus detected as a
consequence of historic transport

7. Do we have information on fires linked to historic transport on
the BCN?

No - BW does not hold the information" - then refer to Waterways Trust who
can consult the historic archives held by them.

. I have found this reference to the practice of moving phosphorus waste;
in the section "The smell of the Cut"
[1]http://blossomsblackcountry.freeservers....

Please note that the copyright still subsists in the attached articles
and, although BW is not in breach of copyright by sending you these
articles under the freedom of information legislation (by virtue of
section 50 Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988), the articles cannot be
further copied by you without the consent of the person who has copyright

I have listed below resources that maybe of use in your investigation;

Waterway Archive [2][email address]

The Railway and Canal Historical Society may have some more historical
information. ([3]http://www.rchs.org.uk/trial/gwpf.php?wp...).

The BCN Society may have some recollections
([4]http://www.bcn-society.co.uk/).

National Archives [5]http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/

Should you feel that British Waterways has not properly considered your
request for information, or you remain dissatisfied with British Waterways
in this regard, you are entitled to have your complaint considered by our
complaints process. If this is the case, please write to Kelly Radley
the Head of Customer Relations, 64 Clarendon Road, Watford WD17 1DA and I
will arrange for the complaint to be considered in accordance with our
complaints procedure. A copy of this can be found at
[6]http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk'.

The Office of the Information Commissioner is the organisation that
ensures compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and deals with
formal complaints. If we have not been able to resolve your request you
are entitled under Section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to
apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision. His contact details
are:-

Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Or

Enquiry/information line: 01625 545745

Email: [7][email address]

Yours Sincerely

Chris Gray

Information Officer

References

Visible links
1. http://blossomsblackcountry.freeservers....
2. mailto:[email address]
mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.rchs.org.uk/trial/gwpf.php?wp...
http://www.rchs.org.uk/trial/gwpf.php?wp...
4. http://www.bcn-society.co.uk/
http://www.bcn-society.co.uk/
5. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/
6. http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/
http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/
7. mailto:[email address]
mailto:[email address]

Dear Chris Gray,

Thankyou for your recent reply to my request for information concerning silt sampling and disposal on the BCN network. This provided some interesting background information to what I am looking at. In light of this and other sources, I will be making a further request for information.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Carroll