Problems have arisen at the site following an accumulation of surface water caused by heavy rainfall over the course of the last month. The site has been closed to any incoming waste material since 4 January as a result of the odour issues.
According to the Environment Agency (EA) which is monitoring efforts to tackle the odour problem, the recent heavy rainfall meant that “a mix of waste and water has caused an odour which residents in the area have uncomfortably experienced.”
Following monitoring of the site late last week (15 January) the Agency found that the levels of methane and hydrogen sulphide in the air are well within safe limits, meaning that there is no potential health risks to residents living near the site.
And, a statement from Suez – formerly Sita UK – said: “We are now seeing improvements following the ongoing remedial works we have implemented and we are working towards resuming normal operations as soon as possible.
“We would like to apologise to residents (regarding the smell) and would like to thank them for their patience.”
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A spokesperson for Suez, said that odour at the site is normally controlled through gas and leachate treatment but because of the heavy rainfall, this had not been possible.
He added: “We are currently working hard to keep contaminated water away from external water sources, by collecting it and sending it to hazardous waste sites.
“Unfortunately people are sensitive to the smells that are arising due to the increased amount of water and gas.
“The weather hasn’t helped. We normally have no problem catching leachate and controlling gas from our landfill sites, but because we have been overwhelmed with water, this has caused the issue.”
To curb the odour issue, Suez has been working to tanker the liquid away from landfill. In addition, fixed and mobile odour suppression systems are also in operation in the affected areas on the site.
EA
During the course of the last week, EA officers have been at the Path Head site, monitoring the progress.
While it has confirmed that the odour poses no threat to health, the Agency has recommended that residents contact their GP or NHS 111 if they have any health concerns.
“We will continue to check for odours in the environment around the landfill over the next few days and provide a further update next week,” the Agency said in a statement issued yesterday (18 Janaury).
The Path Head landfill site has been operational since March 2007 but is expected to close in March 2017. The site handles predominantly waste from commercial and industrial sources. is located 9km It is located west of Gateshead, 500m east of the village of Stargate on the A695 Ryton bypass near Blaydon.
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