'Rotten egg' smell continues despite assurances

Aycliffe Quarry has taken action to reduce gas emissions, the Environment Agency said

A "rotten egg" smell has persisted for more than a year - to the detriment of nearby householders - despite assurances the emissions believed to be responsible had been reduced.

People living near the Aycliffe Quarry landfill site in County Durham said, last week, the odour was "off the charts" and "turned their stomachs".

The quarry was identified by the Environment Agency (EA) as being the source of the "stench" last year, but the owner of the site has denied it is responsible for the latest problem.

The EA said it was committed to ensuring any necessary action was taken to resolve the issue.

The quarry's owner said it had recorded an odour from a biogas facility on the nearby Aycliffe Industrial Estate.

But the EA said smells from that site had not been picked up around areas of housing.

Liz Brown, who lives three miles from the quarry, said the smell last week was so bad she woke with a "bad head".

Another resident, Emma Eyre, said the smell was "absolutely vile".

"I live in Harrowgate Hill, and smell it most nights," she said.

"It turns my stomach. The stench stays in your house for days."

An interim report from an odour monitoring unit set up in the village of Brafferton was due at the end of September

Katie Louise, who lives in nearby Brafferton village, said the smell had been constant since last September, and was affecting her, and other residents', mental health.

She said her teenage daughter had asked if she smelt like a bin.

"It breaks my heart," Ms Louise said.

The EA is investigating Aycliffe Quarry, which is owned by the Ashcourt Group, after issuing an enforcement notice in February.

It installed an odour monitoring unit in Brafferton in June.

Interim results, due to be published at the end of September, were "being compiled and will be issued as soon as possible", the EA said.

Ashcourt said there had been "odour emanating from a biogas facility on the nearby industrial estate at Newton Aycliffe".

"We have recorded this in our ongoing monitoring checks," it added.

It also said the wind direction did not match the complaints - but did not provide evidence.

'Sources of odour'

Bio Capital, which runs Warrens Emerald Biogas waste treatment plant on the industrial estate, said it operated "fully in accordance with the permits and environmental regulations set by the authorities".

It said it took complaints "very seriously", but pointed out "other potential sources of odour in the vicinity, such as the nearby quarry".

The EA said it was regularly assessing the quarry, which continued to implement measures to reduce gas emissions.

"We will consider appropriate enforcement action if necessary," a spokesperson said.