04/05/2005 - The Environment
Agency yesterday (Tuesday 3 May 2005) prosecuted
SITA Southern Ltd after the Fair Oak landfill
in Hampshire allowed strong gas odours to
leave the site and affect residents living
nearby.
SITA Southern Ltd appeared before Southampton
Magistrates Court. The company was fined £10,000
and ordered to pay £1,500 costs.
The court heard the Environment Agency visited
the landfill after receiving complaints from
local residents about strong odours. On 16
May 2004, Environment Officers visited the
site and suspected the landfill gas flare
was not working which would cause the venting
of unburnt gases. A SITA operative was contacted
and after making adjustments the flare was
restarted. On this occasion a kinked gas extraction
pipe was noticed that was restricting the
flow of gas, the hissing of escaping gas from
the pipe was also heard and this was causing
a strong odour. The perfume odour suppression
spray system was also found not to be working.
In allowing this strong gas odour to emanate
from the site, SITA Southern Ltd contravened
a condition of its PPC permit. PPC permits
are there to protect the environment and state
that all emissions to air from operations
on site must be free from odours likely to
cause pollution to the environment, harm to
health or serious detriment to the area outside
the site boundary.
Speaking after the case, Environment Officer
Mike Smith, said: "There had been a history
of complaints from residents about odours
emanating from this landfill and they should
not be subjected to conditions like this.
SITA was alerted and given plenty of opportunity
to rectify the problem but their failure to
do so meant residents had to suffer with this
smell.
"Last year SITA was prosecuted for a
similar event after residents were subjected
to strong odours. Failing to follow the conditions
of PPC permits can cause serious harm to the
environment so we take any breaches very seriously.
These conditions are extremely important and
must be adhered to."
