Leachate is produced by rain falling on landfill sites and is a highly polluting liquid which collects at the bottom of the sites.
Nick Holmes, policy executive of the Environmental Services Association, said: “Sites are managed so as to minimise leachate production, but this year has been so exceptionally wet that the problem is unavoidable. Most, if not all, landfill sites will have experienced an increase in leachate production and many have done exceptionally well in keeping leachate levels down.”
He added: “An increase in leachate levels increases the cost of managing the site because to reduce levels the waste management companies have to install an on-site treatment plant or tanker the leachate away from site.”
But Chris Murphy, assistant chief executive, of Institute of Wastes Management, said: “Most of the rain water should run off the site, there should only be a problem when the water table rises which will mean that the leachate head will also rise.”
Unprecedented
Last week Viridor Waste attributed the problems caused by the wet weather to the decline in its operating profits which are down from 15.2 million last year to 13.1 million.
Viridor is a subsidiary of the Pennon Group and Group chairman, Ken Harvey said: “An unprecedented level of leachate from the wet weather has caused operating costs to rise.”
The Waste Recycling Group has also experienced problems with leachate at its Arpley landfill site in Warrington.
The Environment Agency served an enforcement notice on WRG in February 2001 in relation to the management of leachates at the site after continued breaches of its licence. WRG has until August to comply with the notice and substantially reduce the levels of leachate.
Levels of leachate must be kept down to less than one metre but in February levels were over ten metres in parts. Since the notice was served, WRG has been taking leachate off the site in tankers at a rate of 100 tankers a week which has reduced leachate levels. The company is also constructing a leachate facility on the site.
A spokeswoman for the Environment Agency said: “The situation is ongoing and we will see what happens. The six months ends on August 7 and within the next few months we will decide what to do. We are prepared to work with the company but the fact remains that it isn’t complying with its licence. The levels on the site are extremely excessive and this needs to be fixed. We need to make sure the levels are back to normal.”
She added: “Our role is to try and make sure the environment is protected and it is our duty to deal with the site effectively. This is quite a problem which must be sorted as there are environmental risks. We have given WRG a good amount of time and they have to comply otherwise action will be taken.”
Acquired
A spokesman for WRG said: “Since Arpley landfill site was acquired by WRG in April 1999, the company has been aware of the elevated leachate level and has been working toward developing disposal and treatment systems to deal with it.
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