The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) were called to a “large fire” the Dunbar landfill site at around 20:30 on Monday (26 August). While the fire was brought under control overnight, the fire service explained on 27 August that it “may continue to burn for many days”.
The fire saw plumes of smoke coming from the site throughout the week. The council on 28 August even published advice from Dr Alex Cockburn, consultant in public Health medicine at NHS Lothian, who urged schools to keep children inside buildings at break and lunchtime and local residents to not spend prolonged period outside.
On Friday (1 September) afternoon, a spokesperson for Valencia Waste Management said East Lothian fire service had left the scene that day, but its own team will remain on site over the weekend to “monitor the scene”.
The spokesperson added: “We will now start the investigation into the cause of the fire and work with the Fire Service and SEPA, Valencia will share results of the investigation with the local community.”
Tue 29/8
We are aware of & in attendance at a commercial landfill site in Dunbar
The fire is under control & being managed it may continue to burn for many days
It is advised those living nearby or travelling near to the affected area should keep their windows & doors closed pic.twitter.com/yzhnUmLgiD— SFRS Scottish Borders East (@SfrsEast) August 29, 2023
‘Regulatory actions’
The scale of the fire meant there was a multi-agency response. East Lothian council established an Incident Response Group, consisting of Scottish Fire and Rescue Services, SEPA and its own environmental health officers.
Once the fire was calmed on Friday, a spokesperson for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) said: “SEPA officers have attended Valencia Waste Management Limited’s landfill site at Dunbar to ensure the operator is taking all necessary measures. We have provided advice and guidance on mitigations, alongside colleagues from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
“We continue to work closely with partners, including East Lothian Council and NHS Lothian, to monitor the situation across the weekend. This close liaison will continue for as long as required.
“The operator will be required to submit an incident report to SEPA in due course and officers will follow up any regulatory actions as required.”
Viridor
The site was also hit by a fire when under Viridor’s ownership in 2019 (see letsrecycle.com story).
The site handles around 600-800 tonnes of municipal waste per day and sits opposite Viridor’s Dunbar energy from waste facility.
Viridor’s landfill operations were transferred to Valencia Waste management in 2022.
Viridor’s landfill side was sold at the end of March 2022 to Frank Solutions Limited “in its entirety” (see letsrecycle.com story).
In a statement Viridor explained that Frank Solutions Ltd acts as the holding group of several companies working in disciplines ranging from landfill engineering and restoration, plant equipment, energy generation and land remediation projects.
The following month, a statement posted by Viridor explained that Valencia Waste Management will managing Viridor’s former landfill sites. After Viridor’s acquisition by KKR in 2020, the company sought to sell most of its waste and recycling assets, only keeping hold of energy from waste plants and plastic recycling facilities.
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