Gornal News & Goings On

NEWS

Milking Bank contaminations fears allayed As part of its Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy Dudley Council has been investigating the former landfill site at Milking Bank, an area with a history of opencast mining. It is surrounded by houses and forms an open space within the development. Today, they have announced some reassuring news in the form of the following letter to residents who were involved in the site investigations and those who live within 50 metres of the former Gibbons Refractories Ltd landfill site. Dear Sir/Madam Re: Milking Bank Development – Results of Site Investigation As you will be aware the Council has recently investigated a number of properties around the former Gibbons Refractories Ltd landfill site within the Milking Bank estate. The data gathered during the sampling and monitoring exercise has now been evaluated and interpreted. A technical report is being drafted and will be available towards the end of June 2003. Please contact me if you would like to receive a copy of the report. Rather than wait until the Report is available it was considered important to inform residents of the results of our investigation at the earliest opportunity. The Council is pleased to let you know that no significant contamination has been identified and as such the Council considers that no remedial action is required. We have taken the opportunity to provide a summary of the findings of the investigation. The results are very reassuring and demonstrate that whilst contaminants may be present from the previous land use this is not automatically cause for concern and people can live happily and safely in houses situated on such land. It is recognised that there may have been some doubt and uncertainty with respect to land contamination affecting your property and the results of our investigation should help to dispel any fears. Furthermore, it is considered that the results of the investigation should only increase confidence in what is already a popular estate. The Council intends to arrange an open meeting at the Milking Bank Primary School. Officers of the Council will be available to discuss the findings of our investigation in more detail and we will confirm arrangements in due course. Should you have any questions in the meantime please do not hesitate to contact me. Yours sincerely, Robert Showell Contaminated Land Manager

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