MP keeps ‘file open’ on controversial tip

COUNCILLOR Derek Heffernan at High Moor tip in Scouthead

AN MP has warned bosses at a controversial landfill site that he intends to keep a close eye on the situation — despite leaving the post as Minister of the Environment.

Phil Woolas, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth and now Minister for Immigration, made his statement just hours before a public meeting over High Moor tip at Scouthead.

He said: “Improvements at the tip are welcomed but they have been slow. For a number of residents, this is an awful blight.

“My file on High Moor is still open and I am keeping in close touch with the situation,” he added.

Mr Woolas has a 10,000-word dossier outlining problems at the vast site going back more than two years.

Complaints centre around noxious odours from the tip which pervade homes and businesses. And there have been a series of alarming Incidents involving severe vibrations caused by the failure of gas generators at the site.

Veolia Environmental Services, which runs the site, has implemented a series of operations to cap the tip and introduced special sprinklers to eliminate odours.

Anti-tip campaigner Diane Bolan said: “Veolia seem to be doing what they said they would do — albeit in their own time.

“We have seen a slight improvement and we hope this continues. However, we are still getting gas leaks.”

Councillor Derek Heffernan said: “Sprays carrying odour suppressant, giving out a fine mist, have been placed along the site’s southern boundary. These attach to any odour molecules and absorb them.”

A Veolia spokesperson said: “We have recently completed the latest phase of the capping of the site. This extends the area of new capping further around the perimeter of the site than first envisaged.

“The capping consists of both a plastic sheet and soils and is designed to both cap and seal the area in order to aid collection of landfill gas. We have also installed a temporary plastic cap in the current operational area and installed the odour suppression system.

“We were initially hampered by adverse weather at the end of last year and the first half of 2008 but have now taken extra measures including taking the capping further than originally intended”

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “We are working with Veolia’s site manager to finalise a plan of works for the coming year and will continue to closely monitor progress to ensure odour is minimised.”

The public meeting takes place tonight at The Delph Theatre, at 7.30pm.