Dumped waste at old fuel plant is set to be cleared

WHAT a mess!

This is the state of the old Phurnacite plant at Abercwmboi, piled high with old bricks, rubble and waste.

One local has spoken out about the mess the site is in – and now the land owner has made a pledge that it will be cleaned up soon.

The site has been a topic of conversation for years in the local community.

Back in 2016, Cynon Valley MP Ann Clwyd called on the Welsh Government, who previously owned the land, to take action to enable redevelopment of the site.

The historic site has stood empty since the plant closed in 1991 and was demolished but Ms Clwyd, along with Rhondda Cynon Taf council leader Andrew Morgan, were keen to see the “eyesore” 168-acre site back in use.

But the Welsh Government’s leasehold interest in the site has expired, and the land is now the responsibility of The Coal Authority and Coal Products Ltd.

Local man Adam Lambert is shocked at the appearance of the land.

The 47-year-old said: “A lot of waste has been dumped at the site.

“Instead of disposing of it properly, someone has just taken it there to deposit of it.

“And what’s more, they’ve tried to disguise it by making it look like it has been there for years.”

Mr Lambert, who has reported the problem to Natural Resources Wales, believes the waste has been there for weeks already.

He claimed some of the waste lies on the part of the site that was cleaned up by the Welsh Government around a decade ago.

“I just don’t understand added. it,” he

“It was only around ten years ago that people worked to clean the site up, so why would someone do this now?

“I’ve lived in Aberdare for around ten years, and the site has always been a topic of discussion.”

The majority of the land, which has been affected by the waste disposal, is owned by the Coal Authority which said action will be taken.

A spokeswoman for the Coal Authority said: “We can confirm that some surplus material was dumped on our land, but can confirm that the party involved has agreed to remove it within the near future.”

Natural Resources Wales said officers were looking into what’s going on at the site.

A spokesman said: “We’ve received a report of alleged illegal dumping of waste through our incident hotline and we’re investigating.

“People should report suspected dumping of illegal waste to us on 03000 65 3000.”