Walley's Quarry: Agency apologises for error at smelly landfill site

Clare Dinnis from the Environment Agency said an internal inquiry was taking place

The Environment Agency has apologised in a public meeting after it emerged some monitoring of noxious gases at a Staffordshire landfill site had been under-reported.

Area director Clare Dinnis said there had been a misunderstanding about the calibration of new equipment at Walley's Quarry.

She said a peer-led review was now being carried out.

She also said she understood the anger and distrust the error had caused.

For years Walley's Quarry in Staffordshire has been the subject of thousands of complaints over unpleasant pungent odours, which some residents fear pose a health risk.

Hydrogen sulphide, which smells like rotten eggs, was found to have sometimes exceeded limits there, but it was discovered in August that the levels of the gas had been higher than previously reported, because of the error.

The online meeting heard some angry calls for resignations and for a public enquiry, but Ms Dinnis said: "We are not looking for individuals to blame in this."

She said the organisation's focus was on "the community and the regulation of the site" and collecting the correct data.

"We need people to stay in place" to achieve that, she said.

But she also acknowledged the error "will have absolutely dented confidence further".

A calibration problem had led to an under-reporting of hydrogen sulphide levels at the site

One resident, Janice Lowe, asked "Why on earth should we trust you again? Time after time after time you are letting us down."

In response, Ms Dinnis said the Environment Agency was trying to be as "open and transparent" as possible and was spending a lot of money on the issue.

She explained that ongoing enquiries had revealed the error came about after incorrect assumptions were made about the calibration of new monitoring equipment.

That caused the gas levels to be incorrectly measured over a period of years.

Andrew Hitchings, the Environment Agency's lead on Walley's Quarry, said he was confident the readings had since been corrected and work was being done to re-examine the past data.

He said he hoped to have an update on that in November.

Another resident, Dr Mick Salt, asked whether a public health emergency could be declared based on the corrected data.

But Ms Dinnis said the data appeared to show the situation had improved and did not meet that criteria.

She also said she could not comment on the prospects for a prosecution.