I am still working away at local safety and environmental issues when I would much rather be publishing more local history, the local water pollution issue is very complex and as I understand bits of it I am publishing them here, with supporting documentation when I can.
For a number of years now Manston Airport has posed an unacceptable pollution risk to our drinking water supply and there would appear to be a case for not using it at all.
The problem stems from the fact that the airfield was built as a wartime airfield in 1944 and as such didn’t have to conform to any environmental regulations. I don’t believe that there was ever any intention to use it as a commercial airport after the war.
The main problem being that the surface water from the runways goes into our drinking water reservoir, the secondary problem being that if there is an air crash and fuel spillage on the grass part of the airfield, no mater how good the drainage is for the rest, the fuel will contaminate our reservoir.
The solution that has been arrived at is to put in a drainage system for the runways and other hard standing, that will run directly into Pegwell Bay, which is a world class RAMSAR wetland.
Some relevant links below.
Environment Agency correspondence obtained under the FOA
Further reading
RAMSAR
News, Local history and Thanet issues from Michael's Bookshop in Ramsgate see www.michaelsbookshop.com I publish over 200 books about the history of this area click here to look at them.
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