The chemicals arrived at Marchwood Military Port on 15 July via the Danish vessel Ark Futura. They were unloaded by soldiers from 17 Port & Maritime Regiment (with assistance from Veolia staff), and verified by the OPCW inspection team.
Waste management company Veolia yesterday (6 August) completed the incineration of around 190 tonnes of Syrian chemical material at its Ellesmere Port High Temperature Incineration facility.
The chemicals, said to be intended for use by the Assad regime to manufacture nerve agent, were sent to the facility as part of the British Government’s role in the international mission to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapon programme.
Around 150 tonnes of one category of chemicals, known as ‘B precursors’ (one of two industrial grade chemicals which, if combined with chemicals known as ‘A precursors’, produce nerve agent), along with 40 tonnes of hydrochloric acid were destroyed under the verification procedures of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
Veolia was chosen for the incineration of the chemicals as it already has an existing Ministry of Defence contract for treating waste arising from its operations.
Estelle Brachlianoff, Veolia’s Executive Vice-President for the UK & Ireland had previously said that the chemicals were to be “safely destroyed under [its] strict environmental permit and in line with our high environmental, health, safety and operating standards.”
Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Tobias Ellwood, commented: “By destroying these chemicals, the United Kingdom has played its part in the international effort to ensure that Assad’s chemical weapons can never again be used against the Syrian people. The removal, and now the destruction in four countries, of the declared Syrian chemical stockpile show what can be achieved when the international community, including Russia, agrees to work together for the common good.”
The Assad regime declared to the international community that it had 1300 tonnes of chemical stockpiled, which is now being destroyed at facilities in the USA, Finland and Germany, along with ‘support from many other states and the OPCW’.
Find out more about the Syrian chemical disposal operation.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.