Walleys Quarry suspension notice lifted

The Environment Agency has lifted a suspension notice which it issued to a controversial landfill site in Newcastle.

Walleys Quarry Ltd had been ordered to stop accepting waste which contributed to bad smells on 1 March 2024.

The original notice, called a Regulation 37 Suspension Notice, required the operator to take immediate action to remove the risk of serious pollution, namely fugitive emissions of landfill gas to the air causing significant and widespread offence to human senses.

It also ordered the installation of additional gas extraction infrastructure by 17 March 2024 and additional temporary capping by 24 March 2024.

What the EA say

In a statement posted by the Environment Agency online, a representative said: " Today (12 March), the Environment Agency has assessed the action taken by Walleys Quarry Ltd (WQL) to comply with the Suspension Notice (‘the Notice’) issued on 1 March 2024.

"The Notice required WQL to install additional gas extraction infrastructure in a key part of the operational area; to connect it so that it extracts gas; and to install additional temporary capping in two other operational areas."

"We are satisfied that the steps required have been completed and have therefore withdrawn the Notice. This means that WQL is no longer prohibited from accepting and disposing of non-inert waste specified in its permit.

"The Environment Agency will now carefully assess the effectiveness of the action taken to reduce fugitive emissions of landfill gas from the areas of the site identified in the Notice. We will continue to require WQL to comply with its environmental permit and implement all the measures necessary to manage emissions of landfill gas from the site. All regulatory options remain under consideration.

"WQL has notified the Environment Agency that it has appealed against the Suspension Notice to the Planning Inspectorate. We have informed the Planning Inspectorate that, following compliance, the Notice has been withdrawn.

What WQL say

In an emailed statement a Walleys Quarry Ltd. spokesperson said: "Lifting this Suspension Notice is 100 per cent the correct decision. Imposing it just over a week ago was inappropriate and ill-conceived as we said at the time.

"It appeared to serve only the interests of the Environment Agency in seeking to justify its over-zealous scrutiny of Walleys Quarry. While we welcome the inevitable decision to lift the Notice, we do not believe it was ever justified.

"We will continue our work, implementing our extensive gas infrastructure and environmental engineering works in accordance with our focused, long-running and ongoing programmes.

“Ironically, the only effect this Notice has had is to disrupt works already in progress, impose works we still consider superfluous and led to the delay of the site’s wider development and capping programme.

“As always, we remain dedicated to working with our community and the regulators to provide a clean, responsible and sustainable operation for Newcastle-under-Lyme”.

Newcastle MP Aaron Bell has shared his reaction on social media. He posted: "I am extremely surprised and angry about this, having been assured by the EA that the works required would take around 4 weeks "if they do it properly".

"How then can they have done it in less than a fortnight? My understanding is that they have worked at extreme pace to get the site reopened (no doubt losing income focused their efforts). But of course that only goes to show that the EA should have been tougher years ago.

"The only proper resolution for the community to start to put this nightmare behind us is a CLOSURE notice."

What is hydrogen sulphide?

Landfill gases contain hydrogen sulphide. It’s a colourless, flammable gas which has a distinct odour of rotten eggs. It is considered toxic.

More than 900 odour complaints were made to the Environment Agency relating to smells around Walleys Quarry in the week 26th February to 3rd March 2024.

Risk to health

The UK Health Security Agency says it’s aware that some people are experiencing short-term health effects associated with emissions from Walleys Quarry and that the risk of long-term health problems is likely to be small but cannot be excluded.

It states that symptoms like headaches, nausea, watery eyes, stuffy nose, coughs, and stress are more likely when the odours exceed the WHO annoyance level.

Additional mental health support has also been made available to help people experiencing emotional distress.

Jennie Collier, Managing Director at the Midlands Partner Foundation NHS Trust said: “People living in the area around Walleys Quarry who contact the Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Wellbeing Service are reporting the odour from the site is having a detrimental impact on their mental health. This has manifested itself as depression, anxiety, stress, sleep disorders and other issues.”

You can access this dedicated mental health support by calling 0300 303 0923 or visiting www.staffsandstokewellbeing.nhs.uk. Alternatively you can text SHOUT to 85258, speak to Samaritans on 116123 or calls North Staffs Mind on 01782 262100.

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