Stench from landfill site impacts residents’ wellbeing

Liam Randall, local democracy reporter

The management of a landfill site where nearby residents have been blighted by the smell of rotten eggs is set to come under the spotlight.

People living in the village of Johnstown have long complained of bad odours coming from the Hafod Landfill, where both domestic and commercial waste is buried.

Site operators Enovert were issued with a statutory notice by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) in December 2023 for breaching its environmental permit and urged to address the problem.

Stench

While some improvements were noted in the following months, villagers say their lives are still being made a misery by the foul stench.

A meeting of councillors is now due to be held this week to discuss the issue.

Ahead of the debate, a senior Conservative politician on Wrexham Council has highlighted the negative impact the smell is having on people’s health.

Health bodies

Hugh Jones, lead member for public protection, said in a report: “The service started to receive calls from residents near the site during late October 2023 and officers contacted both NRW and the site operator to notify them of the complaints.

“Two liaison meetings have been held with NRW since the incidents were notified.

“There is active and ongoing dialogue with the site operator and NRW, as well as other health bodies related to the ongoing issues arising from the site.

“The strength of public feeling is significant and there is acknowledgement that the odour emanating from the site is affecting individual and community health and wellbeing.

“As a local authority, we continue to support the NRW from a regulatory perspective and have undertaken a review of the legislative enforcement options.”

Complaints

Figures included within the report show more than 300 complaints were raised about the landfill site between October 2023 and August this year.

The local authority also said staff from its environmental health team had spent “a considerable amount of time” dealing with the issue.

The report does not include any specific proposals to address the problem, but suggests the council continues to work with NRW regarding enforcement action.

Speaking about the impact of the odour previously, Johnstown councillor and deputy council leader David A Bithell (Ind) said: “Public bodies need to recognise the significant impact this has on people’s daily lives.

“I have met the site CEO of Enovert and NRW several times who all say they are committed to being good neighbours and want to work together.

“Despite several assurances we are continuing to have odour from the site.”

When approached for comment, Enovert said it was aware of the upcoming council debate and had already taken steps to address the issue.

CEO Mark Silvester said: “As part of an action plan agreed with Natural Resources Wales, Enovert has used all appropriate measures to comply with the site’s environmental permit.

“(These include) installation of gas extraction infrastructure, temporary capping of operating areas, acceleration of permanent capping and utilisation of the gases collected for the generation of renewable energy.”

The report will be discussed by members of the authority’s homes and environment scrutiny committee when they meet on Wednesday (October 16, 2024).