Newcastle man opens up about mental breakdown after three-year fight for clean air

A prominent member of a campaign for fresh and safe air around Walleys Quarry landfill in Silverdale is sharing his story about how the fight took a monumental toll on his mental health.

"I just woke up in absolute tears that morning, I realised I'd had a mental breakdown" said Dr Mick Salt, Scientific Advisor for the community in the ongoing campaign to #StopTheStink.

"So, I just woke my wife up crying to her and said I need to go get some help."

The site, which is currently graded Band F, has been at the centre of a chain of complaints and demonstrations in recent years, as well as high profile court cases, one which involved a vulnerable child impacted by the noxious landfill fumes.

"My trouble was I thought I was invincible, but clearly not"

Dr Salt has been an active scientific presence for the campaign since March 2020 when he took part in his first teleconference with the Environment Agency, who regulate the site in Silverdale.

He continues to provide regular updates to and on behalf of the community and supports a number of calls for firmer regulation of the site and operator Walleys Quarry Ltd (and Red Industries Ltd).

However it was a court injunction served by the operator last year that limited a number of protesters from demonstrating at certain locations which triggered a mental breakdown so serious that Dr Salt thought about taking his own life.

"I've got quite a decent life insurance policy with work and I just kept thinking I may be worth more dead than alive here, to my family." said Dr Salt.

"I think I was genuinely just wearing myself down, and it was that traumatic event that made me realise I'd put too much into this, and I'd burnt myself out.

"I told my colleagues at work, look my performance is going to be dreadful for the next few days, because I've not only got to sort out the legal stuff but this has had a huge impact on me. But, everyone rallied around me, and I think that was quite key to my recovery, that in my hour of need everyone just jumped to pick me back up again."

"Reach out. Seek help. Don't suffer in silence"

Dr Salt is now urging others across North Staffordshire who may be impacted mentally from the noxious fumes or the fears of health impacts to speak up.

"If you reach out, people will fall over themselves to help you. So reach out and get the help that you need.

Dr Salt added: "For Walleys Quarry there's a dedicated mental health support service, but for any issue that you've got - look online and look up what's available. You've also got various organisations like the Samaritans who you can call. Seek whatever help you need, and you will get it."

The Environment Agency provides information on Walleys Quarry in their online Citizen Space which can be viewed here.

When Hits Radio Staffordshire & Cheshire News contacted Walleys Quarry Ltd in April 2022 regarding the injunction, they provided this statement.

“We of course respect the right of individuals to protest.

"However, it cannot be right that our employees - local people just trying to do their jobs - feel intimidated and sometimes frightened by the prospect of going to work. The obstructive and hostile actions of a small number of individuals has disrupted progress on the important measures we are taking to further reduce emissions at the site."

As of 26th January, the latest EA update in the Citizen Space states that the Environment Agency has recently concluded consideration of complaints raised by Walleys Quarry Ltd into breaches applied to the operator last year. These relate to two Compliance Assessment Reports (CARs).

In response to this, a Walleys Quarry Ltd spokesperson said they welcome the EA's decision to downgrade their assessment of conditions at the site during their inspection in January 2022.

They continued: “Walley Quarry Limited are considering their response in respect of any residual scores in relation to this matter. Further scores relating to our waste acceptance procedures issued by the EA in May 2022 are also being challenged on a similar technical and regulatory basis.

“We note the Environment Agency recognise efforts to reduce emission levels onsite; described as having ‘proven effective’. This painstaking work conducted by Walleys Quarry has delivered a consistent and continued record of improvement noticed by many local residents and reflected in the positive results at the MMFs located around the site."

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