Cash is freed to tackle pollution

FUNDING has been secured to clear historical contamination from an Anglesey housing estate which once housed copper smelting works.

In October 2017, more than 100 homes on the Craig-y-Don Estate in Amlwch were tested for possible contamination.

The results revealed that no contamination was found in 95 of the 112 homes, but officials agreed that further assessments would be needed on the remaining 16 after finding high concentrations of arsenic and lead underneath the homes which could pose a risk to human health.

But, after a bid for support by Anglesey Council, the Welsh Government has now released a pot of cash to complete the remediation work, agreeing to fund 60% of the costs with the authority to pay for the remainder.

The exact figure has not yet been made public but, according to the Welsh Government, the funding will ensure residents do not need to pay for the work themselves, while the local authority will not need to pay the total costs from its existing budgets.

The Environment Minister, Hannah Blythyn, said: “The remediation costs for contaminated land usually fall to the owner or occupier of the property, in cases where the original polluter no longer exists.

“However, given a number of distinguishing factors at Craig Y Don, we felt it appropriate for the Welsh Government to step in to provide financial support for the remediation work.

“Contaminated land mostly affects former industrial, inner city and dockland areas. I’m pleased to announce this funding, which will help return the land to being a safe and clean place for residents, the community and for future generations.”

During a meeting of Amlwch Town Council earlier this year, it was outlined that experts had found that the soil would need to be ingested every day over a period of 60 years in order to have any negative effect on people’s health.

This was reiterated by Angle- sey Council leader Llinos Medi, who outlined that residents were not at any immediate risk but the authority was applying for funding to help carry out the work.

Craig Y Don was built in the 1950s on the former Gwaith Hills metal smelter works, which operated between 1786 and 1897, before becoming a chemical works.

The housing estate itself includes both privately owned and Anglesey Council leased homes.

Cllr Llinos Medi added: “I’m grateful to colleagues in Welsh Government for their financial support in ensuring these important works go ahead.

“This has been a challenging period for the residents of Craig y Don, but they have always been our first priority.

“Through working in partnership we now have the funding needed to help all of them, be they tenants or homeowners.”

When copper mining ceased, the site became a fertilizer factory known as “Gwaith Hills” around 1889. The heavy metals are the same as those found within the ore naturally found within the mountain.

The smelting process at Craig-y-Don involved furnaces, which melted the ore to extract the copper, leaving behind the less valuable heavy materials in the form of “clinker”.

The survey undertaken by the council found that ground on certain parts of the estate included traces of this clinker.