Wolverhampton City Council and Akzo Nobel announce remediation partnership

Released: 3 April 2007

Wolverhampton City Council and Akzo Nobel  today announced a project to  destroy carbon disulphide found underground in a small number of areas at the site of the former Courtaulds’ factory.  

This will lift any perceived blight from the estate said council leader, Cllr Roger Lawrence, who welcomed the project as a “fresh start” for residents. 

Whilst investigations in one small area are not yet complete, most of the estate of 600 homes has been declared free of contamination and the legal agreement signed between the company and the city council means that Akzo Nobel will remove the substance, where it is found above levels agreed between the council and the company. No health risk to residents has been found.

Akzo Nobel is funding and leading the multi-million pound two-year project to which the Council is contributing up to £2 million. Where necessary, Akzo Nobel, which has already paid for the investigation which started in the  autumn of 2005, will purchase affected houses. Until the last remaining investigations in a small area are complete, it is not known exactly how many properties in total will need to be acquired.  The purchases will be made by Akzo Nobel at full market values established by property specialists as if no contamination is present.

Welcoming the agreement, Cllr Roger Lawrence said: “I believe this signals a fresh start for residents and the estate and means we’re moving towards a conclusion of a difficult situation. Residents have shown great patience over the past months and have cooperated fully with the investigation.  I know it has sometimes been very frustrating for them. Nonetheless, both the council and Akzo Nobel have been determined to solve a difficult and complex problem as swiftly as possible so that everyone can get on with their lives.

“Cases such as these can drag on for years. Together, Akzo Nobel and the council have succeeded in getting the investigation complete and the remediation commenced in less than two years.” 

Akzo Nobel will shortly begin a field trial of a remediation technique, already proven in laboratory trials, which involves the injection of a compound into the contaminated soil to destroy the carbon disulphide. The trial is likely to last about three months and will provide information for the validation of the method by the company, the Environment Agency and the council. 

Twelve householders have been informed of the company’s intention to buy their homes at market value. These house owners will also receive the equivalent of the council home loss payment as well as reasonable selling, purchasing and removal costs. There are five directly affected council properties whose tenants either have or will be re-housed by Wolverhampton Homes and will receive home loss payments.  

At a small number of properties, Akzo Nobel will also remove and replace garden soil where carbon disulphide has been found.  This will be carried out at the start of the project and affected residents will not need to vacate their homes. 

Background briefing

Wolverhampton City Council in conjunction with Akzo Nobel launched the investigation into the presence of carbon disulphide in the autumn of 2005 on the site of the former Courtaulds’ Dunstall Hall site. Akzo Nobel conducted the investigation in partnership with the Council after the company alerted the council to the possible presence of the substance which was used in the manufacture of viscose rayon.

The investigation has involved testing in over 200 gardens and further air testing in some homes. In the summer of 2006, most of the estate was declared clear of the substance in significant concentrations.  Although high levels were found to exist in a small number of gardens, no health risk to residents has been found.

The council and Akzo Nobel have consulted the most directly affected residents about the project with visits to 17 householders – 12 of them homeowners - to discuss the possible need for their homes to be vacated to enable the removal of the carbon disulphide to go ahead.  Throughout the investigation and remediation plan discussions, the residents have been kept fully informed by a team of council experts working with Akzo Nobel.

Since then the council and Akzo Nobel have been involved in discussions on the best way to remediate the site – whilst at the same time, minimising the disruption to the lives of the most directly affected residents.

The legal agreement sets out a partnership between the company and the council and a commitment by Akzo Nobel to remediate the site.

Further information from Wolverhampton City Council Press Office on 01902 554076.

Issued by the press office.