NATURAL Resources Wales (NRW) has taken further enforcement action at Withyhedge Landfill in Pembrokeshire, setting out the urgent steps its operators must take to address the site’s ongoing odour and landfill gas emission issues.
NRW has issued site operators Resources Management UK Ltd (RML) with a further Regulation 36 Enforcement Notice, which requires the operator to deliver a series of actions by specified deadlines – the first due to be achieved by April 21.

The actions include implementing measures relating to gas management infrastructure, further capping areas of the site, and improving interim cover arrangements as the work progresses.

Each step outlined in the Notice must be completed by May 14.

However, the Notice stipulates that most works must be completed before May 8.

The measures are intended to address the odour issues experienced by communities surrounding the site.

Although actions set out in the Section 36 Notice issued in February to prepare and cap a waste cell and install gas infrastructure to contain and collect landfill gases appear to have been completed, the site operator has identified further areas of the site which could be causing problems.

RML submitted their plans to resolve these issues last week.

The proposed solutions informed the actions included in a new S36 notice issued last week.

The new enforcement activity requires the operator to deliver the additional steps they need to take.

If the actions outlined in this new Notice are not complied with, NRW will not hesitate to take further action. The Welsh Government agency will consider all the regulatory tools available, including issuing a Section 37 suspension notice.

A Section 37 Notice would end operations at Withyhedge

Huwel Manley, Head of South West Operations, NRW, said: “NRW is taking additional enforcement action to ensure RML Ltd. takes the urgent action they have identified needed to control the odour issues at Withyhedge Landfill.

“We fully understand the growing discontent from the affected communities, and we feel that it is unacceptable for residents and visitors to the area to continue to be affected by these odour and landfill gas emissions.

“We want to reassure everyone that we are committed to ensuring RML Ltd. deliver the actions they have identified and that they work quickly to resolve this issue.

“While the pressing work required by the operator progresses over the coming days and weeks, the site remains under investigation, and we will continue our regulatory presence.

“Nothing is off the table. If the series of actions required in this Notice are not complied with, we will have no hesitation to take further enforcement action, considering every option available to us under the regulations, including suspending the environmental permit if appropriate.”

Will Bramble, Pembrokeshire County Council Chief Executive, said: “We are extremely disappointed that RML, the company managing the Withyhedge landfill site, has not delivered the necessary action to stop the completely unacceptable odour emissions.

“We fully support NRW’s additional enforcement action and continue to work closely with them to correct the situation.

“We also support NRW’s intent to take further action should it fail to meet the May 14 deadline, including considering suspending the permit.

“Geotechnology is monitoring under the direction of the air quality cell and liaising directly with residents affected.

“We will ensure the data is made available to the public at the earliest opportunity.”

The controversy over £200,000 in donations to Vaughan Gething’s Labour leadership campaign by companies linked to Withyhedge and a further substantial personal donation by company director David Neal continues to dog Wales’s new First Minister.

As revelations continue to bubble up from under the cap that Mr Gething has tried placing on them, the smell from Withyhedge has reached Cardiff Bay. It is beginning to stink out the Senedd.

More details of that story are elsewhere in this week’s Herald.

NRW requests that instances of odour from the landfill continue to be reported via this dedicated form: https://bit.ly/reportasmellwithyhedge.