The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Melville pong capping works must be completed, says MSP
Demand for action grows with isolation due to coronavirus
A once-and-for-all resolution to the Melville pong has been demanded despite coronavirus restrictions.
Operators of Lower Melville Wood landfill site have less than a fortnight to complete capping work intended to eradicate the offensive odour which has plagued the area near Ladybank.
And with people at home round-theclock due to Covid-19, politicians said it was more important than ever that the stench was snuffed out.
Fife Resource Solutions (FRS), which runs the rubbish dump on behalf of Fife Council, was ordered to undertake the work by environment watchdog Sepa by March 9.
Delays were blamed on storms during February but the company insisted it was confident it could complete the work by its new deadline of April 13.
MSP Willie Rennie said: “Almost everyone is stuck at home just now so any pungent smell in the area is an issue that is with them all the time.”
Mr Rennie said that while letters were being exchanged between FRS and Sepa over the deadline extension, people were unable to open their windows or sit in their gardens some days.
The area’s MP, Wendy Chamberlain, said: “Sepa does have stronger regulatory powers, I hope that this matter can be responsibly resolved by the waste management.”
FRS chief operating officer Robin Baird said: “Sepa issued an extension due to the severe weather events in February and we are confident, despite the recent unprecedented world events, to complete the works as per the new schedule.”
A Sepa spokeswoman said: “We recognise that some of the landfill engineering work is weather dependant and given the recent period of prolonged severe weather, we accepted a new deadline of April 13 2020.”