Natural Resources Wales has shared the most recent findings from a visit to Withyhedge Landfill site in Pembrokeshire at a multi-agency ‘Incident Management Team’ meeting
The meeting on April 10 included representatives from Pembrokeshire County Council, Public Health Wales and Hywel Dda University Health Board.
It coincided with protests outside County Hall in Haverfordwest from ‘Stop the Stink’ campaigners who have long urged authorities to close the landfill facility down due to odours emanating from the site.
“All authorities acknowledge and empathise with the impact this prolonged odour issue is having on members of the communities that surround Withyhedge Landfill,” said a spokesperson for NRW.
“This is a complex and ever-changing situation, and partners are working extremely hard to reach a point where the odour problems are resolved.
“NRW officers attended the site on April 8. It appears, from a visual assessment of the work undertaken on site, that the required capping work and gas well installation has been completed by site operators, RML, in line with the deadline of the S36 Enforcement Notice, issued by NRW on February 13.
“However, this can only be fully assessed by NRW once survey and construction validation reports have been submitted. The operator is now preparing these and once received, a formal assessment will be undertaken.
“The authorities will review the findings and revise their action plans where appropriate.”
Since the passing of the S36 Enforcement Notice deadline of April 5, and in response to continued high volumes of odour reports from the local community, NRW and PCC have stated that they have increased odour monitoring in residential areas.
Other possible areas on site where odour may be coming from have been identified; and RML submitted plans to address these on April 10, which are now being considered by NRW.
RML has also commissioned an independent party to carry out air quality monitoring, and this work continues. PCC and NRW are providing technical advice in support of this work.
NRW requests that instances of odour from the landfill continue to be reported via this dedicated form: https://bit.ly/reportasmellwithyhedge