Biffa still battling odour at Redhill landfill site

Odour problems are continuing to plague a landfill site in Surrey more than a month after complaints were lodged by local residents, despite a demonstrable improvement in the situation, according to site operator Biffa.

The Environment Agency has claimed that the Redhill landfill site which can accept up to 750,000 tonnes of waste per year has a history of odour complaints, but very high rainfall in the area since the start of the year has exacerbated the smell, which has been compared to rotting eggs.

Biffa has apologised for the odour, stating that due to ongoing extreme weather causing localised flooding and poor ground conditions there are intermittent low levels of odour escaping from the site but that it is working to bring the situation back to normal.

The odour has garnered complaints from local residents close to the site at Patteson Court, Nutfield, and on January 21 Agency officers found Biffa to be in breach of its environmental permit as it was not properly managing gas production.

Biffa and the Agency then agreed an action plan in January which included the installation of additional gas collection wells and the sealing of leachate walls, and the company claims it has spent 400,000 on tackling the problem.

Odour abatement

The waste management firm said its staff and contractors were working seven days per week to resolve the issue, installing 100 extractions wells and 1km of collection pipework, as well as replacing six major headworks, 5,000 cubic metres of additional capping and eight additional pumps to control surface water and leachate.

Further works agreed with the Agency include 30,000 cubic metres of temporary capping and additional gas extraction wells, which Biffa plans to complete as soon as possible.

In addition, both Biffa and the Agency are monitoring the sites air quality on a daily basis, although the company claims that there is no risk to human health from the low levels of gas escaping from the site. The odour is largely caused by hydrogen sulphide.

Complaints from residents also led to a site visit from MP for Reigate Crispin Blunt and East Surrey MP Sam Gyimah on February 14, with the former previously calling for residents to be compensated by Biffa for the odour problems.

A spokeswoman for Biffa said: Whilst we can measure demonstrable improvement in the situation we still have further works to complete to bring the situation back to normal. Biffa is aware of the discomfort and concerns of the local community and we would like to take this opportunity to apologise once again for this incident.

The spokeswoman added: We will continue to provide updates for the local community, media and political representatives. Biffa has met with local MPs Crispin Blunt and Sam Gyimah, and will be convening our next Community Liaison Group meeting in March as planned to update members and hear their views. We will also be keeping our web site up to date with progress.

Redhill site

Biffas landfill site in Redhill has been operating since the early 1990s accepting household, commercial and industrial waste. It is expected to continue operating until 2030.

The south side of the site stopped accepting waste in July 2009 and is now fully engineered to extract and turn landfill gas into energy for the national grid.

However, it is the North section of the site, operational since 2004 and visible from Redhill town, from which the odour is escaping.