Big blow for Walleys Quarry campaigners as Government issues ruling
The government has rejected calls for a public inquiry into the Environment Agency's handling of Walleys Quarry. Newcastle Borough Council leader Simon Tagg wrote to Environment Secretary Steve Reed to request the inquiry, claiming that the EA had failed to properly regulate the landfill site, which has been the subject of thousands of odour complaints in recent years.
But environment minister Mary Creagh has now responded, saying she was 'not minded' to grant the request, as a public inquiry would 'divert resources' and not help deal with the issues at Walleys Quarry. Ms Creagh backed the EA's response to the issues at the Silverdale landfill, saying it had carried out 'significantly more' activity there than at any other site in the country.
This work has included 260 compliance assessments since 2021 - Ms Creagh said a typical landfill site would only be subject to 10 of these a year - and the issuing of four enforcement notices. Ms Creagh also noted that in 2023, the Office for Environmental Protection closed a complaint against EA regulation of Walleys Quarry after it found no indication the agency had failed to comply with environmental law.
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In her letter to Mr Tagg, Ms Creagh states: "The EA is continuing to regulate Walleys Quarry robustly. In doing so both there, and generally, it continually seeks to improve and learn from experience. Regulation of Walleys Quarry is complex, active, ongoing and continues to place considerable demands on EA resources.
"The EA has undertaken significantly more regulatory activity in relation to Walleys Quarry since 2021 than at any other regulated site. In carrying out its regulatory work the EA acts on guidance provided by the UK Health Security Agency in the form of Health Risk Assessments.
"A public inquiry would divert resources and would not assist in addressing th serious problems that the EA is committed to resolve at Walleys Quarry. For these reasons I am not minded to grant your request for an inquiry."
Mr Tagg posted Ms Creagh's letter on social media and expressed his disappointment at the decision. He tweeted: "It is disappointing that another government minister has rejected a Public Inquiry into the Environment Agency handling of Walleys Quarry Landfill.
"The EA has failed in it regulatory role. It should be protecting local people by forcing the operator to stop the gas stink and ensuring they face the consequences of their failure - the long overdue closure of the site.
"Minister Mary Creagh lists the 'robust' regulation by the EA which local people in Newcastle know all to well has utterly and miserably failed."
In August the EA published revised historic air quality data for Walleys Quarry, after calibration issues with monitoring equipment had been discovered. The adjusted data showed hydrogen sulphide levels in the period up to August 2023 had been higher than previously thought.
The borough council recently carried out its own inquiry into Walleys Quarry, which heard from residents, experts, the EA and the UK Health Security Agency. The inquiry's final report was critical of both Walleys Quarry Limited and the EA.
The council is also preparing to launch legal action against Walleys Quarry, after being given permission by the government earlier this year.
A spokesperson for Walleys Quarry said: "The landfill site holds an environmental permit and is stringently regulated by the Environment Agency to ensure the onsite activities do not cause harm to human health or the environment as we play a vital role in offering residual waste disposal supporting wider recycling services.
"We recognise the impact that odours can have for local residents, and the team is focused on managing the site to minimise impacts to the community around the site and we will continue to do so."