Staffordshire mum takes pollution fight to Supreme Court
It's about unsafe levels at Walleys Quarry
The family of a five-year-old from Staffordshire are vowing to take their case over the regulation of a controversial landfill to The Supreme Court.
It's after judges at the Court of Appeal allowed an appeal by the Environment Agency against the original High Court ruling.
The High Court had made a declaration requiring the EA to take steps to reduce pollution from the Walleys Quarry Landfill Site in Staffordshire to the safe levels recommended by Public Heath England (now UKHSA).
The Court of Appeal though allowed the Environment Agency’s appeal in this case last month, which was brought on behalf of Mathew Richards, a five year old child with serious health problems.
Mathew’s mother Rebecca Currie said:
"It’s heartbreaking seeing my little boy still struggling to breathe. I was so relieved when the High Court told the EA they had to act urgently to give Mathew clean enough air to breathe.
"I feel upset, confused and angry to learn that the Court of Appeal have said we just have to trust the EA, given their track record of inaction so far which has allowed the pollution in our village to continue to poison my children.
"I hope that the Supreme Court will take a different view.
Mathew’s solicitor Rebekah Carrier said:
"This is a very disappointing judgment of the Court of Appeal. It fails to grapple with the profound effects of the pollution from this landfill site on Mathew and the fact that his life is still at risk.
"The pollution from Walleys Quarry Landfill also continues to blight the lives of the people of Silverdale.
"The very serious implications of this judgment for Mathew and the general public demand that the Supreme Court steps in and makes the right to a safe environment effective. We will therefore be bringing this matter to the Supreme Court as a matter of the utmost urgency
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said:
“Whilst we welcome the reasoned Judgment and the clarity it provides on the role of the Court in judicial review cases, we remain determined to tackle the problems at Walleys Quarry, as we have been all along.
“We will continue our work with the operator, the local authorities and all the other responsible bodies to bring emissions of hydrogen sulphide under control and ensure they remain so.”