Remedial work at ‘stink bomb on steroids’ landfill site to be finished next month

National Resources Wales (NRW) has confirmed that remedial work on a landfill site that residents say smells like “a stink bomb on steroids” should be completed next month.

Residents have been campaigning for action to be taken against odours from the Withyhedge site in Pembrokeshire, which takes landfill waste from Cardiff.

Notice

Last month NRW served an Enforcement Notice on the landfill operator RML which required it to take action relating to an uncapped waste mass, which had been identified as the most likely source of landfill gas emissions and odour.

A gas survey undertaken by NRW during a compliance inspection on 7 March 2024 revealed much lower levels of methane emissions compared to a similar survey on 19 December 2023.

It confirmed there remain areas of waste yet to be capped and warned that these have the potential to release gas.

However, within the last two days residents have complained that the smell from the site was getting worse after a period of improvement.

In a statement, NRW said it is hopeful all engineering work on the previously uncapped area will be completed before the deadline of 5 April 2024.

It added: “…we appreciate the distress, anger and frustration caused by the impact of odour on local communities in the past couple of days. We are in daily dialogue with the landfill operator about the urgency of the situation and will be attending site again this week.”

“Commitment”

Action could also be taken by Pembrokeshire council if the current enforcement notice does resolve problems at the site.

The local authority’s Chief Executive Will Bramble said the council was “working extremely closely” with Public Protection Wales and NRW, adding: “If we have to issue an enforcement notice we will do, but we’re not quite at that stage at the moment.”

Deputy leader Cllr Paul Miller added: “The council’s powers are limited, but I offer this as my personal commitment to do everything we can.

“Personally, I don’t want this landfill activity in the county.”