Updated health warning issued at stinking landfill site linked to Gething donor

Emily Price

An updated health warning has been issued for residents living close a stinking landfill site linked to the man who donated £200,000 to Vaughan Gething’s Welsh Labour leadership campaign.

Public Health Wales (PHW) gathered risk data during March and April 2024 to analyse levels of hydrogen sulphide in the air around the Withyhedge site near Haverfordwest.

The results showed that the noxious fumes emanating there are above the World Health Organisation (WHO) odour annoyance guidelines.

Exposure to odours at levels above the WHO guideline may cause people to suffer with headaches, nausea, dizziness, watery eyes, stuffy nose, irritated throat, cough or wheeze, sleep problems and stress.

PHW has advised residents to keep doors and windows closed when the smells are present and to seek medical advice if they feel unwell.

However, locals are warned not to block windows or vents completely as they provide air to vent cookers or heaters, and can help to control damp.

PHW maintains that reducing the cause or source of offsite odours from the landfill site must be a priority to reduce exposure and any potential health effects on the nearby community.

Odours

First Minister Vaughan Gething has been embroiled in controversy concerning the site’s owner, businessman David Neal, who donated £200,000 to his Labour leadership campaign.

Mr Neal has received two suspended prison sentences for dumping toxic sludge in the Gwent Levels – a protected landscape near Newport.

For more than six months, smells which have left locals “on all fours throwing their guts up” have emanated from the Pembrokeshire site, which is regulated by Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

Stress

PHW has welcomed plans to position static air monitoring around the site going forward to help capture more detailed data.

Dr Sarah Jones, Consultant in Environmental Public Health for Public Health Wales said: “We recognise the real stress and anxiety that local people are under as a result of odours around the Withyhedge landfill site. Like local residents, we are very eager to see a rapid resolution to this issue.

“The health risk assessment will continue to be reviewed and updated as more monitoring data is made available to us.”

Chair of the Air Quality Group for the Multi-Agency Incident Management team Gaynor Toft said: “We note the risk assessment from Public Health Wales and continue to refine and develop the air quality monitoring programme in the vicinity of the landfill site. Suitable static monitoring locations are being identified for the siting of equipment.

“We continue to work in collaboration as the Air Quality Group to ensure that robust data is collated to inform future Public Health Wales assessments.”

Impact

In the Senedd on Tuesday (June 18), the First Minister was grilled on the impact Withyhedge was having on locals and his connection to the site’s owner.

The embattled FM said he was not “directly engaged” with matter as it was being overseen by the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs.

He said: “As the regulator, they (NRW) need to work with the site operator, they need to work with local public health authorities and with the council with the different responsibilities they have. I expect them to do that to deliver improvement.

“There’s no different standard to be applied to this operator or any other, and in fact, this Government will go on to improve standards for environmental regulation to make sure that the polluter really does pay where there’s a breach of those standards.”

Huwel Manley of Natural Resources Wales said: “We acknowledge the report and will continue to use our regulatory powers to drive improvements on site to address causes of odour affecting the community.”