Thor mercury: a Toxic Disneyland

Thor mercury was supposed to have closed in 1988.

And clean-up begun after several poisonings of the workforce and the water.

The Thanet Times today contains a report that decontamination will taken yet another 10 years.

And.

And.

Manufacturing of benzene and mercury was still going on until 2005!

In 2004 an underground tank( isn't that a bit silly putting poisonous chemical s undergorund on the water table!) leaked 2 tonnes of effluent and chemicals into the soil and water table. Plus another 50kg of wood reposervative.

It's like a Toxic Disneyland.

And all of it managed by the EA and TDC and KCC and our MP's. What has been going on: has this been a regular Council item?

And clean-up only began at pilot stage (not very much at all presumably) in 2006!

Serious questions need answering by TDC and KCC and our "sink MP's" - it's our fault the water supply is polluted they say remember.

* why was Thor not shut down in 1988? Or 1994 like in Africa? Or 1998 when the Thor Board were taken to Court for several deaths and pollution?

* why was Thor co-ordinating the cleanup? Are the EA simply paper shufflers not experts?

* where are the EIR records of contamination, signoff of pollution levels over the years etc?

* what was leaked in the 2007 fire?

* how much of the water table and soil is contaminated?

* who was in charge then and now?

This is a major international scandal to allow repeated pollution and manufacture of mercury in Kent.

This isn't paint or oil tipped down a sink - these are massive pollution incidents. Of the most dangerous chemicals known to Mankind.

And all next to a shopping area, offices, hospital, housing estate, main road and farmland.

We know our MP's and TDC are incompetent but KCC seems to have no idea what is going on either.

Surely Paul Carter wants daily and public updates of this massive pollution incident in his backyard or is Maidstone too far away to taste the water? Or to care?

Kent Police should be stationed at the gates making sure the site is sealed.

We must be told the truth.

Cleanup must move faster.

This is a toxic disaster.

And hardly a one-off given Manston/Infratil repeated pollution and 500 tonnes of chemicals from Sericol.

What has been going on?