It will be a school. It’ll be a danger too
Graeme Donohoe A school complex for more than 700 kids is being built on a former landfill site riddled with hazardous waste.
A whistleblower claims medical debris and asbestos have already been found in exploratory digs at the site.
Experts have estimated thousands of tonnes of rubbish will need to be excavated.
Despite the fears, developers are going ahead with the plan and residents have received leaflets telling them work will start this month.
A source close to the project in Lochside, Dumf ries, said: “Site sampling found syringes, bandages, medical containers and even asbestos.
“The stuff pulled out already is just the tip of an iceberg. We’re talking about an estimated 30,000 tonnes of waste.
“The scary thing is that kids have been playing in a playpark for years oblivious to having all that underneath them. No one has a clue what lurks there until they start digging it out.
“The area was originally a loch but
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lived near the site since 1964 and believes the project should be halted.
She said: “I worked at the hospital so I knew that medical waste was dumped there. They should not be disturbing that and they shouldn’t be putting a school there.”
Another resident Hazel Knight, 69, said: “Parents should be very concerned. There were guys in white uniforms prodding about for two weeks and the smell was disgusting.”
The council said: “The option appraisal for the site included ground conditions. Professionals with experience in site remediat ion have detailed an eff icient solution that demonstrates value for money.”
In 1991, the Sunday Mail reported that residents had complained about suffering headaches, sore throats, nausea and drowsiness and blamed gases emanating from the old rubbish site.