More than 1,000 tonnes of sewage sludge was reportedly found stored in the open air at a landfill near Doncaster, prompting action by the Environment Agency (EA) and concerns about possible asbestos disposal, air quality and environmental impacts.
Lee Pitcher, MP for Doncaster East and Axholme Island, said in a Facebook post that he had been told the waste was being kept in an “uncovered stockpile” at the Finningley site.
Labour MPs said they were in contact with the EA, which confirmed on Thursday that it had “taken a series of actions” against the site’s operators after an inspection.
Environment Agency inspection
The landfill is located on the site of a former quarry and is operated by Tetron Finningley. The company has not yet responded to a request for comment from the BBC.
Mr Pitcher said EA officers responded on Tuesday after visiting the landfill on October 9 and “following up” on their findings.
He said the EA told him that approximately 1,000 tonnes of sewage sludge had been observed “to be stored in open-air storage” during the visit.
The agency also “confirmed concerns as to whether activities on site were being carried out in accordance with operational techniques and management arrangements as set out in approved documentation”, according to Mr Pitcher.
He said the EA had given the landfill operator a deadline of November 10 to resolve the issue.
Further environmental concerns
Mr Pitcher said he subsequently contacted the EA again about the “possibility of on-site disposal of asbestos and the air quality and environmental impacts this may have”.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
