Crispin Blunt

Conservative Party | Reigate

Crispin blunt mp visits redhill landfill site and is briefed on “anti-odour” measures

Crispin Blunt visited the Biffa Landfill site in Redhill on Friday to discuss its future and the continued effect the site has on the environment and the surrounding area. Crispin met with David Jenner, Biffa’s General Manager for the South East Region and Pat O’Neill the Site Manager. They outlined some of the measures that have been put into place in the last year to ensure that the site is addressing recent concerns on odour control. These measures include the employment of a full time Gas Monitor Technician, constant environmental control assessments and surveys, as well as other physical site enhancements; including carbon filters and secure gas wells. Crispin was then given a tour of the site and met with one of two falconers employed full-time  to ensure the gulls and other birds associated with domestic waste landfill sites are kept under control.  This is a requirement due to the proximity of Gatwick Airport and Redhill Aerodrome to minimize the risk of birdstrike.

After the visit Crispin Blunt said,

“I received a detailed briefing and an explanation of the likely causes of complaints over the course of the last year of smells from the site.  I am so far satisfied that Biffa, as a major company which values its reputation, is trying to address the interests of its neighbours.  They explained that across the country as recycling increases and the price of landfill rises the nature of waste being sent to landfill is changing.  There is significantly less inert material and the result is more gas, principally methane, is being generated by the decomposing rubbish.  Biffa recover the gas from a suction system within the deposited rubbish which appears to exceed the requirements laid down by the regulator.  They claim they succeed in capturing 93% of the landfill gas which is then used to generate electricity.  Ironically twice this year the electricity to the site has failed, that meant the suction system went down, and that meant the landfill gas escaped to the surrounding atmosphere and they believe these events led to much of the local complaints and nuisance.

"Biffa have also installed other odour control measures and are able to test reasonably quickly for the presence of landfill gases if complaints are made.  I hope that if people nearby are inconvenienced again by the smell they are quickly onto the Environment Agency and Biffa so the problems can be addressed.  I have been assured of Biffa’s determination to be a good neighbour.  It is up to Biffa’s neighbours to hold them to that and I remain anxious to assist in this."