The answers to my questions on the risks of self closing air bricks at times of flood. Received 19/1/2017 from Surrey County Council (my letter is further down the page)
1) Why are self closing air bricks possibly unsuitable, please be precise in your response?
The Environment Agency have told us that the use of automatically closing airbricks and air brick covers may not be suitable, for properties within 250 metres of a landfill site due to the requirement to maintain a ventilated subfloor area and the potential for the airbricks to restrict airflow. For further information you may wish to contact the Environment Agency: rts@environment-agency.gov.uk.
2) Do you now believe that sealed air bricks can trap poisonous gases rising from landfill?
The Environment Agency has told us it has no specific data that identifies that an actual risk to health already exists. We have written to residents as a precautionary measure.
3) When did Surrey County Council begin to realise there might be problems with the flood protection equipment mentioned?
Surrey County Council were informed by the Environment Agency in late June 2016 that they had identified that self closing airbricks and air brick covers may not be suitable for properties within 250metres of current or historic landfill sites.
4) How much public money has Surrey CC disbursed on the possibly unsuitable bits of flood protection equipment that include self closing air bricks and air brick covers?
The Repair & Renew Scheme administered by Surrey County Council on behalf of The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and in accordance with Defra guidance distributed £46k on self closing airbricks and airbrick covers on properties in affected areas.
5) How much will it cost Surrey CC to provide fresh alternatives?
The amount expected to be spent on the replacement scheme is £31k. This funding has been allocated by Surrey County Council: https://mycouncil.surreycc.gov.uk/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=21034&Opt=0
6) Is there more information that perhaps should have been shared with the Coroner’s Court in the summer during the inquest into Zane Gbangbola’s death?
This question is not a request for recorded information.
My letter to Surrey County Council 19/12/2016
(one on same subject also sent to Environment Agency)
Request for information (FOI) to Surrey County Council
This week we received a letter from Surrey County Council about the self closing flood protection air bricks that were installed on our house and paid for with public money administered by Surrey CC: The letter merely says that “they may not be suitable for properties like yours, which are close to a current or historic landfill site.”
In 2014 £300 million was allocated to the Thames Valley area for flood protection work and a significant proportion of that was paid out to flooded householders for similar air brick closures. What baffles me is why Surrey CC handed out tax payers money for a piece of equipment that might be unsuitable? Presumably Surrey CC know something now that they didn't know in 2014 or 2015: What is that something?
What was clear in 2014 was that the emergency services found toxic levels of hydrogen cyanide when they were called to flooded property next to landfill in Chertsey; I am referring of course to the incident in which Zane Gbangbola died and his father Kye became paraplegic. The cause of their poisoning has been hotly debated both publicly and in court but the facts of the case have been well know for a long time by all the concerned authorities: Hydrogen cyanide is a deadly poison, Zane’s home had sandbags sealing the air bricks and the poison was present next to flooded landfill.
Within days of hearing about Zane in 2014 I had bought an OS map and drawn onto it both the flood plain and all the landfill sites to assess where there may be problems. I find it baffling that a concerned individual can do this but neither Surrey CC or the Environment Agency has thought to assess that risk until possibly now. It is clear that if flooding does release toxic gases from landfill that thousands of households would be at risk. I would like Surrey CC to answer some questions under Freedom of Information legislation.
1) Why are self closing air bricks possibly unsuitable, please be precise in your response?
2) Do you now believe that sealed air bricks can trap poisonous gases rising from landfill?
3) When did Surrey County Council begin to realise there might be problems with the flood protection equipment mentioned?
4) How much public money has Surrey CC disbursed on the possibly unsuitable bits of flood protection equipment that include self closing air bricks and air brick covers?
5) How much will it cost Surrey CC to provide fresh alternatives?
6) Is there more information that perhaps should have been shared with the Coroner’s Court in the summer during the inquest into Zane Gbangbola’s death?
The life of one child was too high a price to pay to learn about a possible serious health risk and it is important that I and other residents are given the full facts now. We have a right to know the full facts that Public Services such as Surrey CC have discovered as they are funded by our taxes and those facts may have direct consequences for our lives.
Best regards
Fiona Dent
This week we received a letter from Surrey County Council about the self closing flood protection air bricks that were installed on our house and paid for with public money administered by Surrey CC: The letter merely says that “they may not be suitable for properties like yours, which are close to a current or historic landfill site.”
In 2014 £300 million was allocated to the Thames Valley area for flood protection work and a significant proportion of that was paid out to flooded householders for similar air brick closures. What baffles me is why Surrey CC handed out tax payers money for a piece of equipment that might be unsuitable? Presumably Surrey CC know something now that they didn't know in 2014 or 2015: What is that something?
What was clear in 2014 was that the emergency services found toxic levels of hydrogen cyanide when they were called to flooded property next to landfill in Chertsey; I am referring of course to the incident in which Zane Gbangbola died and his father Kye became paraplegic. The cause of their poisoning has been hotly debated both publicly and in court but the facts of the case have been well know for a long time by all the concerned authorities: Hydrogen cyanide is a deadly poison, Zane’s home had sandbags sealing the air bricks and the poison was present next to flooded landfill.
Within days of hearing about Zane in 2014 I had bought an OS map and drawn onto it both the flood plain and all the landfill sites to assess where there may be problems. I find it baffling that a concerned individual can do this but neither Surrey CC or the Environment Agency has thought to assess that risk until possibly now. It is clear that if flooding does release toxic gases from landfill that thousands of households would be at risk. I would like Surrey CC to answer some questions under Freedom of Information legislation.
1) Why are self closing air bricks possibly unsuitable, please be precise in your response?
2) Do you now believe that sealed air bricks can trap poisonous gases rising from landfill?
3) When did Surrey County Council begin to realise there might be problems with the flood protection equipment mentioned?
4) How much public money has Surrey CC disbursed on the possibly unsuitable bits of flood protection equipment that include self closing air bricks and air brick covers?
5) How much will it cost Surrey CC to provide fresh alternatives?
6) Is there more information that perhaps should have been shared with the Coroner’s Court in the summer during the inquest into Zane Gbangbola’s death?
The life of one child was too high a price to pay to learn about a possible serious health risk and it is important that I and other residents are given the full facts now. We have a right to know the full facts that Public Services such as Surrey CC have discovered as they are funded by our taxes and those facts may have direct consequences for our lives.
Best regards
Fiona Dent
Hydrogen Cyanide gas deaths and the long term risks to large numbers of people living and working on the Thames flood plain. Nov 2015
Residents in Thames Valley constituencies are not being protected from the toxins that are released from landfill when it floods. Dumped waste which can generate highly dangerous chemicals and gases (such as hydrogen cyanide and hydrogen sulphide) were dumped in landfill sites in the early 20th century. Many of these sites were in old gravel pits along the sides of the Thames and nothing is being done to warn people or to put in place an action plan to detect existing problems and deal with them. When there is no flood water there are still risks to local home owners of incremental poisoning which can cause illnesses such as cancer but during flooding the risk of concentrated gas release from landfill is hugely increased and can kill immediately.
There is a need for a programme of work including...
The overlaying of landfill maps with flood risk maps to identify areas of concern (see photo)
Thorough deep testing of the soil content of historic landfill
Identification of initiatives to prevent the flooding of landfill sites such as local flood barriers and impermeable membranes.
Measures to ensure that local authorities alert landowners to hazards
Reassessment of advice to householders at times of flood such as the use of sandbags over airbricks.
Bringing forward life saving urgent flood prevention work.
The flooding of Wraysbury and Datchet in January and February 2014 was some of the worst flooding in the country and scientists are clearly saying that we should expect more extreme weather and flooding in coming years. Those villages have numerous landfill sites; they are in the constituency of Windsor which also has the “highest number and percentage of properties in areas at high risk of flooding” (Environment Agency). I have counted at least 12 ‘historic’ land fill sites on the Windsor section of the flood plain and 4 newer licenced sites. Windsor is part of the “largest area of undefended floodplain in England;” (Environment Agency). Constituencies that I have identified so far as having communities at risk are Windsor, Runnymede, Spelthorne and Maidenhead. There will of course be more in other parts of the country.
During the winter floods on February 8th 2014 the emergency services were called to a property by the Thames in Chertsey (in Spelthorne Constituency just downstream from Windsor); the 3 occupants had collapsed and were rushed to hospital. The Fire Service hazardous substances team detected highly dangerous levels of Hydrogen Cyanide and the neighbourhood was evacuated.
At the hospital 7 year old Zane Gbangbola was declared dead. Both of his parents, Kye Gbangbola and Nicole Lawler had to fight for their lives and took months to recover. Hydrogen Cyanide was found in the blood of both parents and is recorded as the cause of their illness by hospital doctors. Zane's blood was not tested until sometime later and no toxin was found (Hydrogen Cyanide leaves the blood quickly). Nicole is much better now, Kye is paraplegic as a result of the gassing, both now regularly experience additional illnesses such as pulmonaryemboli. The land continues to be a concern as there have been suspicious deaths of horses on it both in recent months and historically.
Both the local authority (Spelthorne) and the Environment Agency have done little to investigate and now 21 months later later there has been no inquiry, no inspection of the land, no coroner’s report and no death certificate. www.truthaboutzane.com The land search for the purchase of their family home, 15 years earlier, did not alert the family to the fact that the land next to their home was historic landfill in an old gravel pit.
(I first met Kye and Nicole in June 2014 on the riverbank when I was walk-training for the 300 mile Jarrow to Westminster People’s march for the NHS.)
Clearly this is a very disturbing story but I would like you to consider the implications for future risk to people living and working next to historic landfill in the Thames flood plain.
Attached is a photograph of my Ordnance Survey map of the Thames Valley from Windsor to Spellthorne. Using highlight pens I have marked the flood plain (blue), licenced landfill (yellow) and historic landfill (pink). Many of the landfill sites are in old gravel pits and the land surrounding them is also gravel. The likely cause of the Hydrogen Cyanide gassing last February is that the landfill flooded. gas migrated easily from deep in the landfill through the water and gravel into the Victorian cellar of Zane’s home. Zane’s parents had followed advice and sandbagged their home’s airbricks and unfortunately the gas was therefore channeled upwards into the bedrooms.
None of the Thames Valley MPs with affected constituencies, including Windsor MP Adam Afriyie, have persuaded the Government to bring forward flood protection work so the settlements of Egham, Datchet, Wraysbury, Chertsey and others will have to wait at least 10 years to see improvements (if the current proposed work programme remains unaltered) leaving them exposed to both flood risk and the dangers from flooded landfill.
“If the Thames floods, there is no existing plan other than to let Datchet, Wraysbury, Egham, Chertsey and other Thameside neighbourhoods sink. The likely presence of poisons that can be released by flood water from historic landfill in those communities is a danger that must be tackled before there are more deaths”
There is a need for a programme of work including...
The overlaying of landfill maps with flood risk maps to identify areas of concern (see photo)
Thorough deep testing of the soil content of historic landfill
Identification of initiatives to prevent the flooding of landfill sites such as local flood barriers and impermeable membranes.
Measures to ensure that local authorities alert landowners to hazards
Reassessment of advice to householders at times of flood such as the use of sandbags over airbricks.
Bringing forward life saving urgent flood prevention work.
The flooding of Wraysbury and Datchet in January and February 2014 was some of the worst flooding in the country and scientists are clearly saying that we should expect more extreme weather and flooding in coming years. Those villages have numerous landfill sites; they are in the constituency of Windsor which also has the “highest number and percentage of properties in areas at high risk of flooding” (Environment Agency). I have counted at least 12 ‘historic’ land fill sites on the Windsor section of the flood plain and 4 newer licenced sites. Windsor is part of the “largest area of undefended floodplain in England;” (Environment Agency). Constituencies that I have identified so far as having communities at risk are Windsor, Runnymede, Spelthorne and Maidenhead. There will of course be more in other parts of the country.
During the winter floods on February 8th 2014 the emergency services were called to a property by the Thames in Chertsey (in Spelthorne Constituency just downstream from Windsor); the 3 occupants had collapsed and were rushed to hospital. The Fire Service hazardous substances team detected highly dangerous levels of Hydrogen Cyanide and the neighbourhood was evacuated.
At the hospital 7 year old Zane Gbangbola was declared dead. Both of his parents, Kye Gbangbola and Nicole Lawler had to fight for their lives and took months to recover. Hydrogen Cyanide was found in the blood of both parents and is recorded as the cause of their illness by hospital doctors. Zane's blood was not tested until sometime later and no toxin was found (Hydrogen Cyanide leaves the blood quickly). Nicole is much better now, Kye is paraplegic as a result of the gassing, both now regularly experience additional illnesses such as pulmonaryemboli. The land continues to be a concern as there have been suspicious deaths of horses on it both in recent months and historically.
Both the local authority (Spelthorne) and the Environment Agency have done little to investigate and now 21 months later later there has been no inquiry, no inspection of the land, no coroner’s report and no death certificate. www.truthaboutzane.com The land search for the purchase of their family home, 15 years earlier, did not alert the family to the fact that the land next to their home was historic landfill in an old gravel pit.
(I first met Kye and Nicole in June 2014 on the riverbank when I was walk-training for the 300 mile Jarrow to Westminster People’s march for the NHS.)
Clearly this is a very disturbing story but I would like you to consider the implications for future risk to people living and working next to historic landfill in the Thames flood plain.
Attached is a photograph of my Ordnance Survey map of the Thames Valley from Windsor to Spellthorne. Using highlight pens I have marked the flood plain (blue), licenced landfill (yellow) and historic landfill (pink). Many of the landfill sites are in old gravel pits and the land surrounding them is also gravel. The likely cause of the Hydrogen Cyanide gassing last February is that the landfill flooded. gas migrated easily from deep in the landfill through the water and gravel into the Victorian cellar of Zane’s home. Zane’s parents had followed advice and sandbagged their home’s airbricks and unfortunately the gas was therefore channeled upwards into the bedrooms.
None of the Thames Valley MPs with affected constituencies, including Windsor MP Adam Afriyie, have persuaded the Government to bring forward flood protection work so the settlements of Egham, Datchet, Wraysbury, Chertsey and others will have to wait at least 10 years to see improvements (if the current proposed work programme remains unaltered) leaving them exposed to both flood risk and the dangers from flooded landfill.
“If the Thames floods, there is no existing plan other than to let Datchet, Wraysbury, Egham, Chertsey and other Thameside neighbourhoods sink. The likely presence of poisons that can be released by flood water from historic landfill in those communities is a danger that must be tackled before there are more deaths”