NRW, which is the Welsh regulator for the waste sector, said that the investigation follows complaints of plastic contamination found in compost which has been used as topsoil.
The site is run by organics recycler the Bryn Group, which undertakes a number of waste operations at the site, including a composting facility, a waste transfer station and an anaerobic digestor plant.
Other activities on the site, such as the quarry works, are regulated by Caerphilly county borough council.
A spokesperson for the company said there is “no truth” to the allegations and it has been working “closely with colleagues at Natural Resource Wales to offer all assistance with their investigation”.
Excavation
The excavation began yesterday (12 April), and will involve teams from NRW digging down into the quarry bund to collect samples of the soil.
Samples will be sent off to a laboratory for analysis, and the results scrutinised by independent consultants, NRW says.
The regulator added that a drone will also be used to capture aerial footage of the site to help experts understand how wide the potential contamination issue may be.
It is expected that the excavation will take three days to complete, and NRW reminded local residents to stay clear of the live investigation site.
‘Complex’
Jon Goldsworthy, operations manager from NRW said: “This is a complex operation, and we appreciate the patience of those who’ve reported their concerns to us while we’ve made the necessary arrangements to allow this to happen.”
“The operators of the site, the Bryn Group, are fully cooperating with our investigation. Once the soil samples have been analysed we expect to receive a report from the consultants which will help us to inform our next course of action.”
‘No truth’
A full statement from the Bryn Group said: “Bryn Group has been working closely with colleagues at Natural Resource Wales to offer all assistance with their investigation into allegations that recycled plastic has been shredded and then used in the construction of our quarry screening bund and mixed with our PAS100 certified green-waste compost.
“There is no truth in those allegations, and we look forward to being vindicated and putting this matter to rest following the excavation and sampling taking place on site today.”
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