The destruction in Ellesmere Port of 150 tonnes of chemicals from war torn Syria will be safe according to the company which will handle them.

Veolia executive director David Lusher has dismissed fears over the arrival of the chemicals, reassuring campaigners they will be overseen by international observers and comply to strict safety regulations.

The chemicals, which are components that could be used to make weapons rather than weapons themselves, will  e subjected to temperatures of 1,150C at the firm’s specialist incinerator on Bridge Road.

Only carbon dioxide and water will be left at the end of the two week process.

Mr Lusher said: “The materials of themselves are standard industrial grade chemicals.

“They are no different in terms of their properties to many of the materials we have taken on the site today, this week, last week or last year.

“This site processes around 100,000 tonnes of materials every year supporting local industries. We are talking about 150 tonnes out of 100,000 prior, so nothing is materially different except for perhaps the profile these materials have.”

Veolia Waste disposal site in Ellesmere Port
Veolia Waste disposal site in Ellesmere Port

Ellesmere Port and Neston MP Andrew Miller has repeated his confidence in Veolia pointing to the site’s unblemished safety record since it opened in Ellesmere Port 23 years ago.

The destruction process has been delayed after the Syrian regime failed to meet export deadlines, with the chemicals still to leave the country.

A new timeframe has not been set but the materials must be destroyed by June 30, with Veolia chiefs now expecting them to arrive in April or May.

It has now emerged the five lorry loads of chemicals will reach the area by land – not down the Mersey. They will be unloaded at a secure military port before being transported to Cheshire.

The chemicals will be the first to be destroyed at Veolia’s Bridges Road site to have come from  Syria and Mr Lusher has confirmed he is not  aware of plans to  destroy any more in the facility’s incinerator.

He believes ‘there is absolutely  nothing to suggest’ that more chemicals are on their way to  the site as part of the company’s contract  with the Ministry of  Defence.

Mr Lusher described the  Syrian project as a ‘spot event’ and  added: “I’ve absolutely no knowledge of any follow up.”