The in-vessel composting facility which processes all of Cambridgeshires commingled green and food waste has been forced to suspend its activities following dozens of complaints about odour.
The Environment Agency issued a notice of suspension and requirement to take steps to waste management company AmeyCespa, which runs the in-vessel composting facility (IVC) at the Waterbeach waste management park in South Cambridgeshire, on July 21.
The 4.5 million IVC opened in 2009 and processes 70,000 tonnes of mixed food and green waste from all five Cambridgeshire district councils under a long-term PFI contract to manage household waste on behalf of Cambridgeshire county council.
However, since Spring 2014, the Environment Agency recorded an increase in odour complaints relating to the composting process which it said it believed were the result of an increase in the quantity of waste being taken into the site and that certain processes on the site could be improved. Complaints were also received in relation to the mechanical biological treatment (MBT) plant also at the site.
After failing to agree an odour management plan with the company, the Agency then issued the suspension notice last month under Regulations 37 of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010.
Notice
The notice states that odour from the acceptance, processing, treatment and storage of wastes associated with the in-vessel composting facility involved a risk of serious pollution and that the companys environmental permit was therefore ineffective until the notice is withdrawn.
The document then sets out a list of actions and timetable for the company to address the issue by August 31. These include the ceasing of shredding of waste on site and clearing out of all material from the composting vessels.
Commenting on the situation, an AmeyCespa spokeswoman said the company was addressing all issues raised and was hopeful of re-opening the site soon.
She said: We take health, safety and environmental issues very seriously and are working closely with the Environment Agency (EA) to investigate and resolve this issue as quickly and effectively as possible. We will continue to co-operate with them until the investigation is concluded and a permanent solution agreed. We are currently in discussions with the EA about fully re-opening the site.
Interim
In the interim, Cambridgeshires food and green waste is still being accepted at the site but is being sent for onward processing at a number of other composting sites.
An Environment Agency spokesman said: We will continue to meet with the operators to try to bring them into compliance. We have given them a number of steps to take such as stopping shredding. There are key dates that they have to meet and then we will review after August 31.
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