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Bedminster signs agreement for major UK waste treatment facility Date: 06-02-2007 The Bedminster technology is a Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) system which uses a large rotating steel drum to convert biodegradable waste to bio-fuel or raw compost. The Merseyside plant will have an initial capacity of 120,000 tonnes a year. While it will be the first Bedminster facility in the UK, the waste treatment technology is already processing waste in 12 plants across the world including North America, Australia and Japan. Construction of the UK plant is planned to begin before the end of 2007, with the plant operational by the end of 2008. The Bedminster process is a continuous efficient system scaleable to market requirements making it a viable solution for today's waste management market and offering long term waste management solution while providing significant renewable energy benefits. The new plant will help local authorities avoid fines under the EU Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS). Under this scheme, local authorities are liable for fines of up to £150 per tonne if 70% of their biodegradable waste is not diverted from landfill. Malcolm Ward, Chief Executive Officer, Cory Environmental, welcomed the new partnership: "We view the Bedminster process as one of the very few credible, LATS compliant technologies available in the market place today and I see considerable scope for rolling out the Merseyside model to other areas. I am encouraged by the ability of our two companies to work together and believe that by combining our respective competencies, we have a significant opportunity to develop a sustainable solution that will assist the UK government and local authorities to address their EU waste obligations." Pearse O'Kane, Chief Executive Officer, Bedminster, explained: "The Bedminster process separates the biodegradable fraction from the various types of waste streams, allowing as much as 95% of the biodegradable fraction to be diverted from landfill. Bedminster's 12 plants operating around the world currently process in excess of 1 million tonnes of waste a year. This development represents a major breakthrough in our objective to find an integral solution to the ever-increasing UK waste problem." Neil Bennett, Director, Cory North & West, added: "This development is an important part of Cory's enhanced service offering to its new and existing local authority clients such as Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority, which recently announced that it was seeking treatment capacity to address its interim LATS liabilities while it continues to examine its PFI options."

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