Walleys Quarry

What are landfill gases?

Landfill gas is formed in a landfill when biodegradable waste (such as food scraps, paper, and wood) rot and decompose (breakdown by bacteria) or evaporate. The gas is a mixture of mostly methane and carbon dioxide. It also contains several other gases in small quantities. The gas, if not properly contained within the engineered landfill, can seep out into the air and lead to unpleasant odours. The different gases that can make-up landfill gas vary depending upon the type of waste on a landfill site and how far the waste has broken down.

What can I smell in the area near the Walleys Quarry Landfill Site?

Landfill gas also contains hydrogen sulphide, which has a smell of rotten eggs. This is what residents can smell.

Are the odours causing or going to cause health effects?

Yes. Some people are experiencing symptoms as a reaction to the strong odour, such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, and disturbed sleep. Some people are experiencing symptoms due to the hydrogen sulphide gas itself, such as irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. Some people are experiencing mental health issues as a result of how long the odours have been present. The longer that hydrogen sulphide levels are high, the greater the likelihood of symptoms being experienced and the greater the impact on people’s health and wellbeing.

Are there any health conditions which make people particularly susceptible to hydrogen sulphide?

People with health conditions that affect breathing, such as asthma, may be more sensitive to the effects of hydrogen sulphide. This is because hydrogen sulphide can cause irritation of the airways leading to coughing and shortness of breath.

What are safe levels of exposure to hydrogen sulphide?

There are different health-based guideline values for short-term exposure (for example, up to 24 hours) and long-term exposure (for example, up to a year or over a lifetime). If short-term and long-term concentrations are below guideline values, they are considered unlikely to pose a risk of direct physical harm.

Is there a risk of serious long-term health problems?

Hydrogen sulphide monitors were set up around the landfill site to determine whether there might be any long-term risks to physical health from cumulative exposure over time.  Based on the levels recorded, our assessment was the risk of serious long term health problems was small, as long as hydrogen sulphide levels continued to reduce over time.

The Environment Agency has now announced that the monitors were incorrectly calibrated. The risk of seriouslong-term health problems is small but cannot be excluded at this stage.

There is limited evidence from elsewhere available to assess the impacts of prolonged exposure to hydrogen sulphide. Studies of communities exposed to high levels of hydrogen sulphide over time have reported an increase in fatigue, irritability, headaches, poor memory, stress and nausea. However these may not necessarily reflect the circumstances around the Walleys Quarry landfill site.

Can hydrogen sulphide cause cancer?

There is no evidence to suggest that hydrogen sulphide causes cancer in humans.

What mental health support is available to residents?

The NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Talking Therapies Service offers confidential support to people struggling with depression, anxiety, stress, low mood, worry and other mental health and emotional issues. Different therapies are recommended for different problem; these include Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and counselling. 

The service is open to anyone aged 16 and over who is registered with a Staffordshire/Stoke-on-Trent GP. You can refer yourself into the service and find out more by visiting https://staffsandstoketalkingtherapies.nhs.uk; alternatively call 0300 303 0923.

I think my health is being affected. What can I do?

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA, formerly known as Public Health England) advises all residents to:

• Close windows in the evenings if there is an outdoor odour, and open them in the morning once any outdoor odour has reduce.
  
   
• Use weather forecasts to identify times your property is downwind (when closing windows can reduce landfill odour indoors) and upwind (when opening windows can reduce any residual odour indoors)
  
   
• Report issues with odours whenever they occur to the Environment Agency using its online form.
  
   
• Complaints of odour nuisance can also be reported to Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council using this form.
  
   
• Contact NHS111 or their GP if you have concerns about your individual circumstances and require health advice.

What do the responding organisations consider when managing the response?

The Strategic Coordinating Group (SCG) is made up of different agencies working together to try to solve the problem. Actions ordered by the regulator (Environment Agency) and carried out by the operator (Walleys Quarry Ltd) are monitored, along with the results of those actions – by monitoring air quality and impact on the community. Information is collated from residents about symptoms and complaints of odour, and from NHS data. This informs the SCG’s overall risk assessment and decisions about actions to work towards reducing people’s exposure to emissions from the landfill, which impact their physical and mental health and wellbeing.

Where can I find out more about what is being done to reduce impacts from the landfill?

The key to reducing the impact on the community is effective gas management on site at Walley’s Quarry Landfill Site. The Environment Agency is continuing to regulate the site as a priority to make sure the company make improvements to reduce the odour as quickly as possible.

For the latest updates on the Environment Agency’s regulatory activities and timelines visit its website

Further information is available on the Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council website.