Battle over landfill is taken to Brussels
Apr 14 2008 by Jule Wilson, The Journal
ACAMPAIGNER is to take his 11-year battle to stop a former quarry site being used for landfill to the European Commission in Brussels.
Colin Wakefield, an independent councillor who also chairs RATS (Residents Against Toxic Site), is meeting with the commission on Wednesday in the hope he can convince it that Houghton-le-Spring Quarry landfill site is contaminating the local water supply. He said: “Myself and local Conservative MEP Martin Callanan will be meeting with senior officials in a bid to force the closure of the site.
“We don’t believe landfill at the site can be safely engineered and we believe this is the reason behind the Environment Agency’s reluctance to manage Biffa Waste Services, who own the site, correctly.”
Mr Callanan said he believed the Environment Agency was also guilty of breaking European laws with regard to the management of the site.
He said: “There are a number of European laws in waste disposal processes and we don’t feel the Environment Agency is following them. So we are hoping for the commission to rule that action must be taken against the British Government which would effectively force the closure of the eyesore and serious environmental hazard that the Houghton Quarry has become
“We have serious concerns about the management of the site, which is completely geologically unsuitable for landfill, but the Environment Agency so far have refused to answer our concerns and have been completely unaccountable.”
The European Commission had previously requested an audit report from the UK authorities on the worked-out Magnesian limestone quarry.
Coun Wakefield said: “We have a long way to go and are keeping an open mind with regard to the outcome of Wednesday’s meeting.”
Nobody could be contacted from either Biffa Waste Services or Sunderland City Council for a comment at the time of going to press.
A spokesman for the Environment Agency denied there was any evidence drinking water was being contaminated at Houghton-le-Spring Quarry.
He said: “Last year we spent £50,000 on an independent survey which was carried out by the British Geological Society and it concluded that there was no evidence that ground water was being polluted in the area.
“We are in regular contact with RATS and always respond within our customer time frame.
“As yet we have not been asked to send any information to the European Commission and we regularly inspect and carry out frequent audits of the site, taking all appropriate action where necessary.”
