Document EmNgDyo1BQx5qdX5MZ369zVoL

Farmers sfart legal action for compensation against waste disposal firm ii/ A HIGHLY toxic- cilliiMemnllltrkalr'Hwhich run hulld up in the body like DDT t to Iraklng on l farmland In South Wain from tw. tonner chemical dumps. The dumpo. at Maondy Quarry. Uantwtl Pardre and Broflskln Quarry. Oroosfactn, wera featured In a Western Mail Investigation in January 1971, which Aral revealed Hie leakage of chemlcaln Now one of the ehemlcale has hcen Idcnlllled as one of the poly chlorinated biphenyl group. The chemical, manufactured by Monsanto Chemicals at Newport amralimped In the quarrlei be tween 1956 and 1970, degrades very lowly and can bufld up In animal tlwue until dangerous or poMlbly lethal concentrations are reached. Hie American Environmental Protection Agency has set up a maximum guideline ol two parts per billion PCB lor unllltered water and 90 PPB In animal tissue. Farmers whose land adjoin; both ouarrlei.aMr. -Qwllm Ml aa, at Broflakln. xfirf Mr. Bill Maldment at Maendy, have both lost stock and believe' PCB contributed to the deaths. Analysis - The chemical ru dumped it the cites before anyone was aware of limited, now part of the Redland Purle Group A Welsh Offlce spokesman said last night the Government had been examining the situation at both dumps for some tlme and had arranged for an anlyals of the water in the area. "It la stressed that there Is no danger to public health in the situa tion as no public water supplies are affected." _. , Both farmers are beginning legal actions against Redland Purle for compensation and the actions are being handled by Cardiff solici tor Mr. Robin Oeldard. - Mr. Oeldard sald last nlght aamplea from a calf which died at Broflskln Farm were sent to America for analysis. "The results showed very high concenteretlons of PCB In the brain, liver and fat. "In the aort of concentration present, PCB would have caused sterility and considerably reduced resilience to other toxins to the point where a very small dose of Farmland being poisoned by killer chemical some other substance, normally not dangerous, could be fatal." . "In Mr. Maldment'* case all the land o nthe side of the road which Includes the quarry Is either directly or Indirectly affected by pollution. 'The chemicals have polluted the land and a stream making a wide band of unsuable land through that part of the farm. This means that cattle cannot be graced near the stream and they cannot be taken across to the other part or the land in case they drink the water as they go." Mr. Maldment said last night 46 acres of his 63-acre fRrm which he rents from Glamorgan County Council were directly or Indirectly affected by the leakage. niwsclip/afcut WESTERN MAIL Dolly (Ore. 100,905) Survey "As well as PCB, I am told the levels of lead and cadmium are much higher than normal there," he said. "This business Is taking away my livelihood. It has got to be settled soon." The law relating to the disposal of toxic waste was tightened up last year with the introduction of the Deposition of Business Waste Act 1973. At the same time a survey was commissioned of all tips In England and Wales. There are believed to be i about 40 of these and the results of i the survey will be sent to the river . authorities of the areas involved and the Institute of Geological Science. X1But while the survey U going on tna Environment Department Is maaxx!ing a rush survey of 13 of them -- seven. Including Maendy and Broflskln, In Glamorgan. An article in yesterday's Sunday Times said the Maendy Up was the worst known to the Government which has ordered a special 20.000 Investigation Into what Is burled there. ' Sludge The arUde claimed the quarry was known to contain at least 31 contamtnants of which five were rated very toxic, nine as toxic and three as mildly toxic. Yesterday, a Western Mall reporter who visited the tip, saw pools of water and chemical sludge In one corner. UnldenUflable chemicals were scattered over the ground or spilling from corroded metal drums half buried In rubble. The lettering on most of the drums was unrecognisable but one bore a iable marked "CAUT1QR -- This slowly gives off an Inflammable vapour that la heavier than jflr." I -4 JUNI97S HONS 070203 Decaying drume of ohemloali leak thoir eontonta into poolt of distoloured water on tho tip. MOftS 070204