PLANS are being drawn up to build a multi-million pound waste facility in the Valleys.

Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly councils have joined forces to look at the options to stop food and organic garden waste from being sent to landfill and help meet recycling targets.

The best site for the facility, which could cost up to £7 million, will be chosen within the boundaries of one of the boroughs.

Publicly-owned land will be earmarked for development, although private sites elsewhere could also be in the running.

The facility, which will treat organic waste from around 140,000 homes in the county boroughs, needs to be up and running by 2012 to help meet the 70 per cent recycling and composting target 13 years later.

The three councils, who will get the facility through the Heads of the Valleys waste programme, are now waiting for the Assembly’s views on its draft outline business case before deciding the next steps.

Project manager, Frances Williams, said: “We must find alternative options to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill or face huge fines which will have to be passed onto the taxpayer.

"We will communicate any future decisions with our residents so they fully understand the reasons for the facility and its eventual location."

There are three options being considered as to the type of waste facility.

These are anaerobic digestion, which produces a compost-like material and biogas as a by-product.

This is the preferred option of the Assembly and, if built, will secure Assembly funding and generate electricity for up to 1,000 homes.

The other options are in-vessel composting, which composts food and garden waste, breaking it down with micro-organisms and oxygen.

There is also windrow composting, designed for the treating green waste only, which is broken down in a similar fashion, only in the open air.