We spoke with Grete Takelsen who has worked as a guard since the opening 07.04.96. Before that she worked in Kristiansand county council, in the same area.

Do you have anything to say about the pollution at Støleheia?

• It is being done enterprises so that it won’t pollute, everything is being tested. 
• They are now working on a survey on the toxic waste in the area. 
• Settling water is being cleaned before it is released into Otra, this with help from two settling ponds. 
• They have special areas for waste like hospital waste, Asbestos, paint and chemicals. 
• We are the first to compost food waste indoors in Norway. 
• Special places for carcass (animals, everything from elks to snakes)

How is the smell?

• It is very little smell. We have a special smell removing facility for 14 million. This makes it stay away from the neighbors. When the facility is up for control the smell will come, and then the neighbors will be notified. The smell removing facility removes 98% of the smell, with help from natural bioorganisms that eats up air.

Is there any improvement now than for three years ago?

• It has not got any worse, it gets more strictly for every year regarding health, environment and safety.

How is it with pollution of ground water?

• The reason that the facility was built at Stoeleheia is that it is upstream water, which means the ground water goes up instead of down, and then it isn’t possible to get pollution in the ground water. 

How do you control all the waste/facilities?

• Everything is being controlled by computers. We have alarms that warns us if it should get pollution in the systems/ponds. That way it should be impossible for pollution to get into Otra.

How about animals and birds that gets into the area?

• It is probably birds we are most harassed by. But we have now got a big birdnett so they can’t get to the composts any more. 

    It looks like the conditions at Støleheia is pretty good. But is that only a subjective statement in apply to Støleheia, or is it really the truth? In the impact part, you can read about the working relations of other employees at Støleheia Avfallsplass.

(Source: Grete Takkelsen at Støleheia)

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