It was in the mid nineties that new soil was brought onto South Ordsall Estate for use in gardens. Twelve years later, 16 skips of soil were removed from the area, gardens were suddenly paved over, and residents were sent a letter from Salix Homes listing the chemicals found, which included lead, arsenic, nickel and benzo(A)pyrene.
The letter added "even the raised levels of these chemicals were still at very low concentrations" and "health experts have assessed that the risks to health are small."
However residents, who counted up to 57 people off the top of their heads plus cats and dogs who had cancer, were not reassured and community magazine, Ordsall Undercover, investigated the issue late last year.
Trevor Dore, who had his front garden and patio flagged over in Paris Avenue, told the magazine that he now has throat cancer…
"I used to grow all sorts of stuff and eat it" he said "Then, three or four years ago they just came and said the garden was contaminated – and `Don't grow vegetables, or if you do grow them, don't eat them…and don't let your kids play on the grass'…
"They didn't give me any details, what it was or which chemicals" he added "Nobody could give me any details. They just said it was contaminated. And I'm, like, `What the hell have I been eating?'"
Residents concerns grew as the cases of cancer around the streets of South Ordsall mounted up…
"Going around the estate there's family after family with cancer" said resident and ex Ordsall councillor George Tapp "We're demanding that the Council holds a public meeting to get the facts and see if there is any link between soil pollution and cancer."
Two very strange things emerged during the Ordsall Undercover investigation. Firstly, when Robert Jeffrey, of the Ordsall Undercover team, asked Salford Council if he could see a copy of the report on the contaminated soil he was sent the wrong report - a Remedial Works Verification Report from 2010 by consultants Environmental Resources Management (ERM) which only listed the work done to deal with the contamination and an analysis of new soil brought into the estate. There was no analysis of the contaminated soil that had been taken away.
Secondly, a Salford Council report in 2007 admitting "elevated levels of arsenic, metals and hydrocarbons" in the area, as well as citing `in-fill of soil after the war', also tried to blame the community for the contamination… "bonfires and burning of stolen cars may also be a factor…"
No-one knows of any `burning stolen cars' in their back gardens! Like the ERM report, nothing was mentioned about soil brought onto the estate in 1995. As the number of cancer cases increase and residents' concern grows, John Merry met some of them during a tour of Ordsall for the latest issue of the magazine (Issue 3) and promised some answers…
Brenda Naylor lives in the affected streets and never even had her soil tested. John Merry told her "We need to find out and understand what's going on. I'm going to have a word with the Director of Public Health and see what we can do to reassure people, because clearly you want to know what is the cause and if there is a spike in terms of cases. I promise we will come back on that one."
The Salford Star understands that the issue was discussed at the last meeting of Ordsall and Langworthy Community Committee, while these residents wait for more answers…
For the full story of Contaminated Ordsall see the PDF of Ordsall Undercover Issue 1 and 3 at the Friends of Ordsall Park website www.friendsofordsallpark.co.uk/ (scroll down to bottom of the home page)
Or click here for Issue 1 and click here for issue 3
Ordsall Undercover is distributed door to door in Ordsall - see also Issue 2 - click here
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