The Environment Agency said it is still determining a permit variation application from Powerfuel Portland, which plans to build the controversial incinerator after being given the green light last year following a legal dispute over planning permission.
READ: Portland Port owners defend waste incinerator project
Under the changes proposed, the company is seeking permission to increase the range of waste the Energy Recovery Facility can accept once built.
This could include potentially hazardous material and the change has been met with fierce backlash from campaigners and residents.
READ: Dorset Council responds to EA incinerator consultation
The latest update comes after a public consultation ended in December over the proposed changes with the EA then requesting extra information.
Powerfuel has now been asked to provide documents regarding several issues.
In the documents, Powerfuel states all additional waste types would continue to arrive by road and be tipped directly into the existing waste bunker, with storage procedures unchanged. It says bale storage capacity, bunker capacity and the current three‑day storage limit will remain the same, with new waste codes processed on a continuous basis.
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On traffic and noise, the firm states it does not expect on‑site heavy goods vehicle movements to exceed the scenario of 80 HGV movements a day previously modelled in its noise impact assessment, so no updated noise study has been provided.
An updated Fire Prevention Plan broadens the waste description beyond refuse-derived fuel but keeps overall storage limits unchanged. On odour, the company argues the extra waste types are similar to the refuse-derived fuel already handled and that existing controls – including negative pressure in the reception hall, combustion of odorous air and perimeter “sniff tests” – remain sufficient, even during shutdowns.
It also says flue gas flow, temperature and velocity will be unchanged, so no new air quality modelling has been submitted.
The new technical note and updated Fire Prevention Plan have been uploaded to the Environment Agency’s Citizen Space consultation page for the Portland application, where residents can view them and request hard copies by phone. Anyone wishing to comment on the permit variation can email the Agency’s permitting team, while general enquiries about the application can be made to the Wessex engagement team.
All documents can be found here: https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/psc/dt5-1db-powerfuel-portland-limited/
The EA is expected to make a decision in the spring.