Landfill gas emissions rise unacceptable - watchdog

Bosses at controversial landfill site Walleys Quarry have been ordered to investigate an "unacceptable" rise in gas emissions.

Air quality monitoring facilities detected sharp rises in hydrogen sulphide levels in the week ending 21 July.

Complaints from the public were also up on previous weeks.

Environment Agency (EA) officials received 277 odour complaints and have demanded Walleys Quarry Ltd, which says it works to minimise the local impact of emissions, to investigate why there has been an increase.

Newcastle Borough Council is currently holding a scrutiny inquiry into the problems that Walleys Quarry Ltd decided not to attend.

Residents, Silverdale Parish Council and a local MP were among those who gave evidence during sessions on Tuesday.

The EA has stressed the figures are based on "indicative and incomplete raw data" and they should be treated with caution being subject to change.

However, the data released shows hydrogen sulphide levels in local residential street Galingale View breached the "annoyance threshold" 16.5% of the time – up from 6.9% in the last week in June.

This was the highest figure recorded at the site since March.

The annoyance level was also breached 7.5% of the time at Silverdale pumping station and 7.2% at Silverdale Cemetery.

The EA’s weekly report recognised the increase in odour complaints and bosses said: "This increase is unacceptable. We have contacted the operator and required them to investigate the cause.

"We continue to robustly regulate in accordance with our contain, capture, and destroy strategy, which requires proper control of fugitive emissions of landfill gas."

In March, following a rise in gas emissions over the winter, the quarry was subjected to a suspension notice that temporarily barred it from accepting non-inert waste.

The EA lifted this notice after just 12 days, saying it was satisfied the operator had taken steps to tackle the problem.

But nearby residents say the latest increase in odour problems shows that previous work to reduce emissions are not working.

Stop the Stink campaigner Simmo Burgess, said on X: "If something is getting better, it should be going constantly down. This shows it has not worked. Nothing will until you close it down."

Walleys Quarry Ltd insists it is working to minimise the impact of the landfill site on residents.

"The landfill site holds an environmental permit and is stringently regulated by the Environment Agency to ensure the onsite activities do not cause harm to human health or the environment," a spokesperson said.

"The management team recognise the impact that odours can have for local residents, and continually inspect the waste deliveries along with committing ongoing investment on the landfill to ensure that odour risks are managed and minimised.

"The team is focused on managing the site to minimise impacts to the community around the site and we will continue to do so."

The EA, the UK Health Security Agency and Newcastle MP Adam Jogee are due to attend a second council hearing on 14 August.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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