The operator of Withyhedge Landfill in Pembrokeshire will only be able to accept waste into a newly constructed cell at the site once Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is satisfied that the cell base has been constructed to the necessary engineering standards.
NRW is carrying out a thorough review of a Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) validation report received from the operator Resources Management UK Ltd (RML), who are seeking final approval to accept waste in a newly constructed cell.
The site in Haverfordwest which has been subject to longstanding complaints from the community, including a campaign labelled ‘Stop the Stink’ - has even seen Preseli Pembrokeshire Senedd Member Paul Davies call for the site to be closed down in recent months due to odours that are emanating from the facility.
Mr Davies has called for an independent public inquiry into the management of the site.
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While the site remains under investigation by NRW, the construction of Cell 9 was authorised by the current environmental permit. The CQA report relates to Cell 9A - one of three sub-cells within Cell 9 which RML says is now ready to accept waste.
The submission of the CQA validation report is a critical requirement under the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR). It should provide the evidence to demonstrate that the base of the new landfill cell has been constructed and engineered in accordance with the approved design and specifications to prevent pollution of the land and groundwater underneath.
No waste disposal can begin in Cell 9A until NRW has reviewed the report, and confirmed it is satisfied that the construction was undertaken in accordance with the approved design and specification.
In addition to the engineering works for the new cells, NRW has also requested from RML updated procedures and plans covering the operation of Cell 9.
The effective management of Cell 9 is fundamental to ensuring that activities at the landfill do not cause further odour problems. NRW will maintain a constant review of all the regulatory tools available to the organisation.
Caroline Drayton, Operations Manager for South West, NRW, said: “We realise there will be some public unease at the prospect of Withyhedge Landfill once again accepting waste, but I want to provide reassurance that, in addition to the rigorous assessment of the construction quality assurance for the new cell, we continue to focus on ensuring that the operator implements further improvements at Withyhedge Landfill to minimise the opportunity for any future emissions and off-site odours.”
The review of the CQA validation report will take several weeks. Upon completion, NRW will notify the site operator of its conclusion.
NRW maintains its regulatory presence on site to ensure RML continues to drive the improvements needed to the gas management system, and to ensure they demonstrate that they are effectively managing the landfill gas from their operations.
Investigations relating to Withyhedge Landfill are on-going. Only when that process is completed can NRW determine if charges should be brought for any offence relating to breaches of their environmental permit conditions.