Residents near Hafod landfill in Wrexham are angry about persistent odors and emissions. They demand closure of the site.
A council meeting discussed the landfill issues last October. In 2023, a notice told them to improve things. The owners, Enovert, admitted problems remained, noting that leachate levels stayed too high for permits.
Over 100 locals protested inaction at the end of January. Council members and others joined them. A motion filed pushed for a council debate, which happened on February 19.
Locals say the smell has been awful for 15 months. One resident, Keely Wynn, finds the smell disgusting and says it’s gotten much worse lately. She can’t open windows anymore, and flies swarm any washing hung outside.
Keely worries about the impact on children and fears property values will drop sharply. Other towns nearby also have the same smell, making family visits unpleasant. She says they are sick of complaining.
Steve Gittins says closing the pit would help. He feels inaction is a poor excuse for the smells and believes regulators must enforce rules well. He states that inaction is prolonging residents’ suffering.
Lyndsey Rawlinson works for Natural Resources Wales (NRW). She knows the smell is a problem. NRW has a team to help and they monitor the Hafod Landfill closely.
NRW did site checks after the council meeting and completed a gas emissions audit. The audit gave advice to Enovert, and an action plan followed with planned work.
NRW met with Enovert and emphasized improvements onsite. Enovert promised to fix things, and NRW will watch their progress, checking air quality monitoring options.
The landfill has a permit that controls waste amounts accepted. The permit cannot limit where waste comes from. NRW only revokes permits for serious harm, prioritizing other options to reduce the odor.
Closing the site wouldn’t end smells right away; leachate and landfill gas require management. People must report odors from the landfill because these reports aid monitoring.
Mark Silvester, CEO of Enovert, spoke about the issues. Enovert works with NRW on complaints and installs gas extraction systems. They follow an agreed action plan closely.
Enovert responded to NRW’s audit, confirming actions and timelines. Enovert committed to more air quality tools and is working with NRW and others carefully.