Walleys Quarry: Plans to reduce noxious gas emissions at landfill

Mathew Richards, who lives about half a mile from Walleys Quarry was born with chronic lung disease

The Environment Agency (EA) has told the High Court it has plans in place to reduce noxious gas emissions at an under-fire landfill.

Walleys Quarry in Staffordshire is at the centre of a challenge by the family of Mathew Richards against the EA.

They say the five-year-old's breathing problems have been made worse by hydrogen sulphide (H2S) from the site.

The High Court hearing ended on Friday and Mr Justice Fordham is expected to give his ruling in the near future.

Lawyers representing the EA told him there was evidence air quality was improving and it aimed to bring in measures to reduce H2S at the quarry, near Newcastle under Lyme, by January 2022.

However, reducing the level of gas emissions to a background level, they said, would be disproportionate and a burden on the EA.

They argued there was no real and immediate risk to Mathew's health and that the housing authority should instead intervene to help him.

Thousands of complaints have been made about the smell from the landfill in Silverdale

Barrister Ian Wise QC, representing the family, earlier told the court there was a "public health emergency" around the quarry and described it as a community "in crisis".

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Mathew's mother Rebecca Currie said he had been born with chronic breathing problems and some nights suffers coughing, vomiting and choking.

On Wednesday, Dr Ian Sinha, giving evidence on behalf of the family, said continued exposure would subsequently reduce Mathew's life expectancy.

Earlier this year, figures released by the EA showed H2S levels at the Silverdale site had, at points, exceeded World Health Organization guidelines.

However, at the time it said that did not necessarily mean people's health would be affected.

The site has prompted thousands of complaints from the local community going back several years, with the smell from the site prompting criticism from local schools and hospitals, and being raised in Parliament.