Walleys Quarry: Environment Agency to remove station monitoring fumes

The regulator of a controversial Staffordshire landfill says it's going to remove one of the mobile monitoring stations which records air quality and odour levels.

It affects the unit currently located at Silverdale Pumping Station.

The two other units, one which is located at Silverdale Cemetery and the second at Galingale View are unaffected,

In a statement the Environment Agency said: "We are required to remove Mobile Monitoring Facility (MMF) 2 from the Silverdale Pumping Station in mid-January 2024. This is due to construction works beyond our control. We are grateful to the landowner for allowing us to use the site for monitoring purposes for such a long time.

"Following discussions with Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council and the UK Health Security Agency, proposals for potential new locations were shared with the Strategic Coordinating Group and a site to the east of the current MMF2 location was confirmed on 12 December 2023.

"Work is now under way to commission the new monitoring site and establish the appropriate services as soon as possible. It is important to note that data from the previous MMF 2 location will not be directly comparable to data collected at the new location. We will continue to update the community on the progress of the new monitoring site."

In June 2023 the Environment Agency removed another monitoring unit, labelled as MMF 6, which was located at Newcastle Fire Station. Unlike the above, this removal was permanent and not relocated to a different location.

In a statement they said: "Whilst ambient air quality monitoring remains a useful tool in both regulating the site and supporting the UKHSA in conducting its health risk assessments, the data provided by MMF6 was no longer necessary for these purposes."