Waste management firm Biffa has made good progress in tackling odour problems at its Redhill Landfill site in Surrey, the Environment Agency has claimed.
And, an interim health risk assessment has concluded that the odour emissions are unlikely to pose a threat to public health.
The Public Health England report, which is based on air quality samples gathered by the Environment Agency, was launched in response to odour issues at the site that have been experienced by local residents.
Members of the community close to the site at Patteson Court, Nutfield, complained about the smell which had been exacerbated by flooding in the area at the start of the year while on January 21 the Environment Agency found Biffa to be in violation of its environmental permit for not properly managing gas production (see letsrecycle.com story).
The report found that hydrogen sulphide and volatile organic compounds from the available monitoring data are not high enough to be of concern to residents health in either the short or long term.
However, Public Health England advises that all measures are taken to reduce the off-site odours from the site, as they can affect an individuals wellbeing.
It reads: Odours can cause nuisance amongst the population possibly leading to stress and anxiety. Some people may experience symptoms such as nausea, headaches or dizziness, as a reaction to odours even when the substances that cause those smells are themselves not harmful to health.
Monitoring
Meanwhile, the Environment Agency will continue to monitor the site for the immediate future, and is working towards the installation of an air quality monitoring station on the Watercolours estate.
Chris Hazelton, environment manager at the Environment Agency, said: I recognise the significant impact that the Biffa site has had on the local community, and welcome the findings of the PHE health risk assessment.
Biffa are making good progress in line with the Enforcement Notice we issued earlier this year, and the infrastructure and gas management work they have carried out has led to a significant reduction in the number of odour complaints we have received.
We will continue to work with Public Health England, Reigate and Banstead borough council, and Biffa to ensure that the remaining issues are resolved as quickly as possible.
The Redhill landfill site currently accepts household, commercial and industrial waste, and is expected to operate until 2030. The odour issue is contained to the north section of the site, which has been operational since 2004.
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