In February, Suez received enforcement notices from the EA, after heavy rainfall and accumulation of surface water at the site resulted in complaints of odour emissions from residents (see letsrecycle.com story).
The Path Head landfill site, located near Gateshead and the villages of Stargate, Crookhill, Stella and Ryton, has a permit to accept 600,000 tonnes of non-hazardous waste a year.
Operational since March 2007, the site has a 10 year planning life and so is due to close in March 2017.
Works
Following the completion of initial gas extraction wells and capping works, as required by the enforcement notice, in June the EA assessment found the works were satisfactorily undertaken (see letsrecycle.com story).
But, further improvements were required to the gas management system on site, leading up to its closure in 2017.
In an update, the Environment Agency noted that recent works have focused on the installation of additional gas extraction wells within the central section of cell 3, which was completed on Thursday (18 August).
As the south-western section of cell three is almost full, Suez will soon start tipping in the central section of the site— the last significant area of tipping as the company works towards closing the site down.
Works to install a permanent section of cap across 10,000m2 of the northern part of cell three are now complete, the EA said.
In the update, the Agency said: “We are currently in discussion with Suez regarding a further section of capping which will likely progress in early autumn. We expect to receive engineering plans for this work soon.”
Odour
The statement said the Agency is “continuing to instruct Suez to take steps to reduce the odours and comply with their environmental permit.”
And, it added: “If we identify problems for which further works are required we’ll ensure these are carried out.”
The EA said that complaints of odour from the site have been reduced over the last couple of weeks and that odour remains much reduced on the site.
However, the Agency will continue to inspect the site regularly and continue to check for odours in the surrounding area, having installed a fixed air monitoring station within school premises near the landfill site.
The Agency’s investigation into appropriate enforcement sanctions concerning the earlier odour problems is still on-going.
Suez
A spokesperson for Suez told letsrecycle.com the works are part of a “progression plan” to prepare the site for closure in 2017: “The whole idea behind the installation of the gas wells and the capping is to address the issues of odour that were raised.
“We’re in constant liaison with the Environment Agency— we keep them aware of what we’re doing.”
He added: “The works are leading up to the site closure in 2017 but the Environment Agency will maintain an interest in the site and make sure that we’re compliant beyond that, because we will retain responsibility.”
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