It seems that the Edinburgh Tram Project just can’t resist making the news in all the
wrong ways with the latest story to break accusing Bilfinger Berger of disposing of potentially toxic waste in the wrong way. It is said that soil waste from a site at Murrayfield is being taken to a normal disposal location whereas it should be going to a specialised place as the soil is contaminated with heavy metals and other toxic materials.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) were called to the Murrayfield site this week and discovered that 49 lorry loads of waste were taken to a non-harmful waste plant in West Lothian. These lorries should have instead been taken to Polmont where the waste plant is licences to dispose of potentially toxic waste. The cost to Bilfinger Berger of disposing of the waste at a specialised plant is likely to be considerably higher which might explain just why this has happened.
As a result of this discovery Bilfinger Berger have been told no further lorries of waste material can leave the site at Baird Drive in Murrayfield until a full investigation is undertaken and contracts to dispose of the material are scrutinised.