Officials urge landfill site in Newcastle to redouble efforts to control odours

A controversial landfill site in North Staffordshire is being urged to do everything in their power to make sure odours don't start spiralling out of control.

Around 600 complaints were made to the Environment Agency over fumes from Walleys Quarry in Silverdale last month.

It prompted Glynn Luznyj, the chair of the Walleys Quarry Strategic Coordinating Group to write a letter to its bosses asking for a resolution.

Glynn wrote:

"I urge you to redouble your efforts to minimise fugitive gas emissions from your landfill.

"All the agencies involved recognise that emissions, odours and complaints about Walleys Quarry have reduced significantly over the last 12 months. We are also aware of your programme of work including the installation of capping and additional wells to capture and destroy hydrogen sulphide and methane emissions. We are therefore increasingly concerned by the increase in complaints in April, as no-one wants to see a repeat of the prolonged incidence of odours and hydrogen sulphide emissions.

"Recent complaints once again highlight the huge impact odours have on local residents’ lives, and both their mental and physical wellbeing. Residents are telling us that they are suffering headaches, insomnia and even nosebleeds because of the odours.

"We appreciate that the spikes in odours and complaints may be exacerbated by weather conditions. We also understand that the landfill will never be completely odour free while it is operational, but those odours must not be an ongoing nuisance to your neighbours.

"In addition to the ongoing regulation of your site by the Environment Agency, and your ongoing dialogue with Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, I would ask for your assurances that you are doing everything in your power to limit the impact on the local community from gas emissions and odour. I would also encourage you to communicate to residents what you are doing, to try and build public confidence in your operation of the site."

Response from Walleys Quarry Ltd

The CEO of Walleys Quarry Ltd, Nigel Bowen responded in a letter addressed to Glynn Luznyj.

Nigel wrote:

"Emissions, odours and complaints about Walleys Quarry have reduced significantly over the last 12 months, and we have voluntarily invested over £2 million on works to capture and destroy emissions. Complaints have fallen by 90%.

"The EA confirmed that it detected no substantiated odours off-site during its last and most recent inspections on 6 March, 14 March, 29 March, 28 April and 18 May 2023.

"Walleys Quarry Limited submitted an updated version of its ‘Landfill Gas Management Plan’, including upgrades ... to the EA over four months ago and is awaiting the EA’s substantive response. Whilst we wait for them to respond with their agreement, we have begun the process of implementing this plan to ensure that delay does not interfere with progress.

"At all times throughout 2022 and 2023, the EA’s figures show that levels remained below the World Health Organisation’s 24-hour average health guideline level.

"As the Council is fully aware, it has recently confirmed that Walleys Quarry Limited is using Best Practicable Means to deal with any emissions at the quarry and continues to be in regular dialogue regarding developments at the site and its plans moving forward.

"We do not therefore consider that your letter assists in any way with dealing with any ongoing issues at Walleys Quarry. In particular, the allegations which you make regarding adverse health effects are, as you are (or should be) well aware, not proven and risk scaremongering and having an adverse effect on public confidence.

"We understand from our legal advisers that the misleading nature of the letter is such that it is potentially libellous in areas."

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