RESIDENTS are worried about their health as a ‘horrendous’ smell is getting worse.

Johnstown residents have called on Natural Resources Wales to help after a ‘vile’ smell from Hafod Landfill has plagued the place they call home.

Tomme Makiki Dar said he has started a petition regarding the smell, that has been going on for ‘quite some years now’.

Jenny Moss said: “The smell from the tip is horrible, it really does make you feel sick. It’s stunk for years but recently seems to be getting a lot worse. The thing needs shutting down.”

The Leader:

Hafod Quarry Landfill site

Ruth Massey added: “Things seem to have gotten even worse this year. Every time I take the dog for a walk I’m faced with a barrier of gas and aroma from the site. One day this week as I drove past I had to cover my face as the gasses were too much to bare.

“This cannot be right and it is a cause for concern to the health of the residents of Johnstown.”

An application for the infilling of Hafod Quarry with domestic, commercial and industrial refuse was refused by the former Clwyd County Council, but later granted by the Welsh Secretary on appeal in July 1995.

The Leader previously reported that in 2012, campaigners lost their legal battle to limit the lifespan of the landfill site.

Hafod Environmental Group had been fighting for years to overturn a change in planning consent allowing tipping at Hafod Quarry, Johnstown, for a further 35 years.

The Leader:

Liam Jarvis, of Heol Orsaf said: “The smell is absolutely atrocious especially in the mornings and evenings. It stinks like gas, it makes me gag. Something needs to be done. I don’t think it’s good for people’s health.

“The windows have to be closed all the time. And even in the car with windows up it still really smells bad. My girlfriend is also pregnant and worry what the smell could be doing. It needs closing down sooner than later.”

Tara Ralphs said: “I also live nearby and it is absolutely disgusting. I too worry about the possible health implications. I cannot understand how it was given the go ahead in the first place being so close to a residential area. Something needs to be done, and soon.”

Pat Griffiths added: “The smell from the landfill is really bad at the moment. It’s always been smelly, but not on the scale it is now. It’s so bad other villages are able to smell it now, we have complained a number of times, but nothing is done.

The Leader:

“We have the right to breathe in fresh air not contaminated air. I’m asthmatic and seriously worry how much more I’m having to use inhalers lately.”

Mattie Oddie has lived in the area for 10 years and describes the smell as ‘relentless’.

He said: “I can’t open my windows and it’s hard to leave the house to take my dog for a walk as the smell of methane is unbearable.

“The community needs to pressure the authorities to take action, we never wanted this around our homes.”

Local member for Johnstown, Councillor David A Bithell, said a “growing number of concerns” had been raised with him about the site.

He said: “I have raised concerns and arranged for a meeting with National Resources Wales (the regulating body). I have also raised concerns locally with senior officers at Wrexham Council and have arranged for environment, planning and public protection officers to be present. The meeting is arranged for early February when I will ensure local concerns are discussed.

The Leader:

“I am aware of an Action Plan that the site operator, ‘Enovert’ have developed to tackle many of the concerns, these include; improvements to the leachate preventions, new and improved gas extraction infrastructure, amendments and improvements to the capping layers and new fencing to help reduce wide blown litter from the site.

“Hopefully this work will improve the situation for residents in Johnstown and the surrounding communities.”

Julia Frost, industry regulation team leader for Natural Resources Wales said: “Following complaints of an odour from local residents, our officers have been working with Hafod Landfill in Johnstown near Wrexham.

“The site operates under an environmental permit that we regulate, and contains conditions that the operator must comply with, in order to minimise the impact of their activities on the environment and local communities.

“A number of improvements have been identified to minimise the odour, and these will be put in place over the coming weeks by the site operator Enovert. These include new gas wells and improved temporary capping.

“Natural Resources Wales’ incident hotline 0300 065 3000 (24 hour) is available for members of the public to report any incidents relating to the site”