Ceres Environmental, an international disaster response, demolition and recycling company, is withdrawing its application for an earthquake debris recycling site in Papanui in response to concerns raised by local residents.
“Ceres Environmental sincerely regrets the concerns caused when the preliminary evaluation it was undertaking of the Cranford Street site was made known to the public last Tuesday. We were clearly looking at a number of sites and in discussion with the Council and ECan but no final decision had been reached in respect of the Cranford St site,” stated Mark Frame, Ceres’ senior project manager.
Following Ceres Environmental addressing a meeting last Wednesday of the Shirley-Papanui Community Board, the company issued a press release seeking assistance from the public, the City Council and CERA in locating an alternate site.
While several industrial sites were identified prior to Cranford Street and a number had been reviewed since, Mark Frame said Ceres Environmental was overwhelmed by the public’s response following last week’s request for help. He said, “Ceres Environmental is currently evaluating several new options and subject to any Council and ECan approvals, we are very confident of one being suitable for our earthquake
debris recycling operation.”
Why does Ceres Environmental want to set up its own recycling site?
Ceres Environmental estimates its decision to establish an earthquake debris recycling site could have saved property owners and insurers more than two-thirds of the debris removal costs, or over $630 million, by efficiently recycling of the earthquake debris. Ceres estimates that up to 60% of demolition costs are tipping fees related to debris disposal. These costs are borne by the owners of the affected properties and come directly off insurance proceeds that would otherwise go toward rebuilding.
More importantly, for Canterbury as a whole, insurance companies could include these high fees in their rate calculations when determining re-insurance rates, increasing everyone’s premiums going forward.
“It is critical that additional sites are identified for the environmentally-safe recycling of debris,” stated Mark Frame. “Lowering costs to property owners and insurers is our main objective. We sincerely welcome input and suggestions from the public, the Council and CERA to help identify another site and address this issue.”
Ceres has broad international experience in managing what are known as ‘temporary debris reduction sites.’ Ceres opened, operated and closed fifty-four such sites after Hurricane Katrina that struck the US, meeting stringent Environmental Protection Agency standards. Ceres is also currently operating an earthquake debris recycling program funded by the World Bank in Haiti.
“Ideally,” Frame continued, “these temporary sites are typically located on four or more hectares and process only construction and demolition debris. No garbage, hazardous waste, asbestos or other environmentally -harmful materials are accepted at the sites.”
Frame explained that following the demolition phase of the Christchurch recovery, estimated to last up to three years, the temporary site would be returned to the original or better condition.
About Ceres NZ
Ceres NZ is a demolition, recycling and Construction Company located in Christchurch and is a
subsidiary of Ceres Environmental Services of the US. Ceres was one of only four firms contracted by the US Government for clean-up after Hurricane Katrina disposing of some 10.2 million cubic meters of debris and coordinating more than 1,100 subcontractors in that effort. Ceres has been responding to the earthquake in Haiti for the past one and a half years and was recently awarded a contract with the Government of Haiti on a World Bank funded project to recycle earthquake debris and manage the only sanctioned landfill in Port-au-Prince.
For further comment please contact:
Mark Frame
Senior Project Manager
Ceres New Zealand LLC.
212 Antigua Street | Christchurch 8011 | New Zealand
+64 3 420 1655 | NZ Office