£750,00 capping to stop big stink at Hyndburn tip

8:50pm Wednesday 26th August 2009

By Emma Cruces

LANDFILL gas from Whinney Hill tip is to be sealed in to stop it casting a stench over Hyndburn.

The £750,000 scheme to cap the landfill gas will not only solve the odour problem, but will harness gas that can create enough power for around 9,000 homes, accor-ding to site owners SITA.

However, tipping will continue to take place elsewhere at the site and future waste is expected to be heaped on top of the cap.

SITA say this is essential in order to bring the land up to correct levels outlined in a land restoration plan.

Meanwhile, the firm has submitted a planning application to install additional gas engines to harness the gas and increase the amount of electricity generated on the site.

Frank Kennedy, from Friends of the Earth North West, said they ‘broadly supported’ the bid to trap methane gas, but said continued landfill tipping must be scaled down.

He said: “Environmentally, it’s a good tactic because the gas is there anyway, so it should be used.

"It would be unrealistic to expect a complete stop to landfill tipping, but we would hope there would be less and less as time goes on at the site.”

SITA has appointed contractor Ruttle Construction Ltd to carry out the capping work which will take around 14 weeks and is expected to be completed by November.

Brian Harper, regional manager for SITA’s landfill operations in the North West, said the timing was important as the winter weather ‘could cause issues with odours around the site’.

He said: “We realise that the essential work we are under-taking now will create some odours, and that this will cause some concern among local people, but it is crucial to help us control landfill gas and minimise odour for local residents for years to come, as well as maximising the amount of renewable energy we generate.”

The cap will cover recently deposited waste for the next 10 years, while tipping operations continue elsewhere on the site.

After this time, additional wastes will be placed on top of it to restore the land to the restoration heights set out in the planning permission granted by Lancashire County Council.

This final restoration will involve installing a permanent cap over the waste, which will again control any odours.