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V26-1361 : PROGRESS REPORTS

(a) Dr S. Wood, Environment Agency

Dr Wood was unable to attend the meeting but a letter was circulated to members in which he commented on the current situation at Wangford Pit No. 1 and Pakefield. Wangford Pit No. 1 and adjacent springs and river were still being monitored, and leachate was not yet impinging. In the event that conditions deteriorated, remedial works would be undertaken to prevent pollution. Concerning the Pakefield site, pollution was still present in the ground, but research suggested that the upper part of the aquifer dried out before joining the coast, and so contaminants were unlikely to have measurable impact along the coast.

(b) Mr S. Hale and Mr D Reese, Suffolk Waste Disposal Company

Mr Hale took members through a report he had written on the Wangford Landfill Site, updating them on various matters. Atlas Aggregates had handed over Phase 3 in May 1998, and the Phase was then lined and landfilling commenced in October 1998. Leachate was still being pumped and recirculated within the lined phases to keep waste moist and accelerate degradation. The degradation process released gas, and this was currently being extracted and flared off. Further gas collection pipework would be installed in completed phases this Summer, to coincide with the installation of an electricity generator.

Plans were also in hand to cap another 26,000m2 of the landfill site. This would mean that 40% of the landfill would be capped. The site was still visited weekly by the Environment Agency who checked for compliance against the conditions of the Waste Management Licence. The conditions of the Licence would be reviewed over the next four months. Finally, it was considered that the site would last until 2007 at current input rates. However, as the Council's material recycling facility at Lowestoft came on stream, input was likely to decrease and the life of the site would be extended.

Members were then able to ask questions, and Mr Hale advised that the power source obtained from burning gas from the site would last around 15 years, although of course the gas would still have to be flared off after that time until the Environment Agency felt levels of gas were safe. Regarding looking past the year 2010, Mr Hale said that talks were ongoing with a mineral operator regarding another pit, but nothing had been agreed as yet.

(c) Mr. H Mottram, Suffolk County Council

Concerning the differences between Sites 1 and 2, Mr Mottram advised that different principles had applied when Site 1 was created. There was no liner or cap, and the site did produce gas and leachate. The leachate did not, however, find its way into water abstraction points, Future legislation could mean a cap needing to be put on the site, but for the time being monitoring would continue and some gas extractors would be inserted.

After the presentations, Councillors mentioned that they found a visit to the above site very helpful in the past, and since they were to visit the new Materials Reclamation Facility later in the year, they felt a visit to the Wangford site on the same day would be beneficial.

RECOMMENDED

1. That the progress reports of the Environment Agency, Suffolk Waste Disposal Company and Suffolk County Council be received.

2. That a site visit be held at the location of the new Materials Reclamation Facility and Wangford Waste Disposal Sites, and that attendance be authorised as an approved duty.

The meeting was concluded at 6.15 pm

Chairman

WANGFORD WASTE DISPOSAL SITE PANEL - 18/02/99

WANGFORD WASTE DISPOSAL SITE PANEL - 18/02/99

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Volume 26 Minute 1360

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