EVERYTHING IS NORMAL – ONE DAY SITE WILL LOOK LIKE THIS
THE boss at Walleys Quarry insists it is being run as a ‘normal’ landfill site – but recognises ‘community concern’ over the facility.
In an interview with The Sentinel, chief executive Nigel Bowen said the company wanted to be ‘harmonious’ with the community, and that work to reduce landfill gas emissions would help alleviate tensions with residents.
Walleys Quarry, in Silverdale, has been subject to thousands of complaints from residents in recent years, mostly relating to the stink caused by hydrogen sulphide (H2S) coming from the site.
The Environment Agency has been carrying out air quality monitoring and enforcement action in response.
But Mr Bowen, who has worked in the waste management industry for more than 30 years, said Walleys had a ‘healthy’ relationship with the EA – despite an ongoing investigation into alleged illegal waste activity and numerous permit breaches.
He believes that while the landfill had come under intense scrutiny from the regulator, this is due to the high levels of community concern, rather than anything unusual.
Mr Bowen said: “We do not want our landfill site to be a concern to the community – we want to be harmonious.
“So we’ve been working tirelessly to put in place measures we believe will be effective in the future.
“What we expect from that is far less community concern.
“We are starting to see reductions in H2S being detected in the community by the EA.
“All landfill sites have the potential to generate odour.
“This is different in that the community have reacted very strongly to the site’s presence.
“I think [residents] have general concerns – there is strong feeling.”
Actions being taken to reduce emissions have included improvements to gas collection and the permanent capping of the site.
The company expects that up to 41 per cent of the site will be capped by June, rising to 50 per cent by the end of next year.
The capping is due to be completed in 2026, when disposal of waste at the site will end. The process of restoring the site will then begin, and the company has released an image of what the land will look like once this has been carried out, below.
Mr Bowen said the measures being taken at Walleys Quarry were not unusual for a landfill site.
He added: “It’s the normal development of a landfill site as it develops and heads towards completion.
“The EA are obviously regulating us and we have a healthy relationship with them. Like us, they are concerned about the community concerns.”
Mr Bowen also insisted that the permit breaches reported and the enforcement actions announced were typical in the waste industry.
He said: “We are inspected probably more than any other waste management facility.
“This year the EA have raised an issue around our management of the gas system, which we do not agree with. We don’t agree with their conclusions and we have appealed.
“In terms of the enforcement notice – those are part of our permit and have been approved by the EA.
“This is all part of of a normal relationship between the operator and the regulator. There will be differences of opinion.
“The EA make a lot of visits. What is being publicised is the ones where they have found issues. There are a large number where they visit and find complete compliance.”
Walleys Quarry recently sent a letter to all residents living in the areas around the landfill, which claimed that the company was working hard to reduce the impact on the community.
But Stop the Stink campaigner Mick Salt believes that communications coming from the company are actually making the situation worse. He said: “Their words are inflammatory, because they’re simply not true. They claim to be a compliant business, but they’ve had 63 breaches.
“While it might be normal to get minor breaches, Walleys Quarry had three category one earlier this year, two enforcement notices in two years, and an ongoing investigation into illegal waste activities.”