West Sussex: £1m contract awarded to maintain landfill sites

A council has awarded contracts worth more than £1m to a company to monitor and maintain six closed landfill sites in West Sussex.

The six sites - in Chichester, Midhurst, Colgate, Itchingfield, Sompting and Steyning - could still leach contaminates into water courses and methane into the air.

West Sussex County Council has a responsibility to secure the sites.

The contract was awarded to MM Enviro Ltd on Monday.

Wayne Lewis, assistant director for environment and public protection, approved the two three-year contracts, worth a total of £1.169m.

The first contract centres around gas equipment maintenance and environmental monitoring. This includes the maintenance of landfill gas flare equipment, and the monitoring of landfill gas and water sampling.

The second contract involves estate management, such as grass cutting, vegetation clearance, hedge cutting and fence maintenance.

Councillors have until 24 January to call in the decision for further discussion, otherwise it comes into effect the following day.

Starting on 1 April, the contracts have the option to be extended for another two years.

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