Concerns over leaked waste

Concerns have been raised following the collapse of part of the banks of the River Ericht which has resulted in waste leaking into the watercourse from a former landfill site in Blairgowrie.

It is understood the waste escaped into the river after snow melt and heavy rain earlier this year caused flooding and exposed a part of the former dump at Welton Road.

Rubbish and chemical waste is believed to have fallen into the river and is being washed downstream for up to three miles.

This latest incident comes after a similar situation in the same spot in the winter of 2015/16, also after severe flooding in the area.

Following that incident, Perth and Kinross councillors approved spending worth £20,000 to conduct an investigation into waste leaking into the River Ericht from the site.

At the time it was reported that the findings of the investigation would be reviewed and“further remediation works will be considered”.

The former landfill site was used by the council’s predecessors up until the mid-1970s for the disposal of municipal waste.

But the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), which is responsible for protecting and improving Scotland’s environment, has said that historic landfill sites that were closed before SEPA was established in 1996 are“unlikely to have been under its regulation”and that “issues such as erosion would be a matter for the local authority or landowner”.

A spokesperson for SEPA said: “SEPA was made aware of erosion of an embankment and the potential for waste from a historical landfill site entering the River Ericht in Blairgowrie.

“Officers have visually inspected the site and are liaising with the landowner and the local authority to prevent further erosion and remove any visible waste.”

A spokesperson for Perth and Kinross Council also issued a statement saying that the local authority“is aware of the situation, and is in the process of considering how best to resolve the matter, including who would be responsible for funding any repairs, as it is on private land”.

The spokesperson added:“With regard to any rubbish or chemical waste that may be falling into the river, this would be a matter for SEPA to address with the landowner and not the council.”

Following the flooding in 2015 and 2016, Perth and Kinross Council undertook a limited investigation to determine if there was an imminent acute risk of pollution to the river from the landfill.

That investigation found that any leaching of chemicals from the waste was low-level.