Residents living near a Fife landfill site that has been plagued by odour complaints have hit out at plans to add an ash processing plant.
For years, people living in the vicinity of Lower Melville Wood Landfill Site, near Ladybank, have had to put up with the stench of rotting waste coming from its vast mound of household rubbish.
Now Fife Resource Solutions (FRS), which operates the site, has applied for planning permission for an incinerator bottom ash (IBA) plant, which would process up to 45,000 tonnes of burnt waste a year.
Monique Sanders, who is acting chair of Giffordtown and District Community Council, said measures to solve the smell had had little effect and the latest step was “adding insut to injury”.
“IBA is a very controversial substance, which needs to be stored – uncovered – for a time before incineration,” she said.
“With strong easterly and westerly winds blowing in turns across the site, the communities will be at further risk of odours and dust pollution.
“The safety distance from a site such as this is 1,000 metres. Giffordtown lies just 900 metres to the west, while much closer are houses that are within the danger distance.”
The plant would remove large particles and metals for recycling elsewhere, as well as producing IBA aggregate, which is used in the construction industry for road building, bulk fill, pipe bedding, asphalts and concrete.
Bottom ash would be brought to the site in lorry loads, with six to seven deliveries taking place each day.
SLR Consulting Limited has submitted a planning statement on behalf of FRS.
The consultants said: “It is noted that there is an ongoing issue with regard to odours released from the landfill site. However, it is considered that a negligible increase to odour exposure at nearby receptors would occur as result of proposed development. As such, assessment of fugitive odours from the proposed development has been screened out of the assessment.
“The conclusions of the air quality assessment are that the proposed extension would result in a negligible effect with regard to both odour and dust impacts on local receptors.”
Robin Baird, chief operating officer for Fife Resource Solutions (FRS), which runs recycling services on behalf of Fife Council, said: “We continue to work closely with SEPA and continue to provide updates to the community on a regular basis in regards the work we are doing onsite.
“Despite recent events we have continued to progress with all onsite works at a pace and will continue to do so over the coming weeks ”
North East Fife Lib Dem MSP Willie Rennie said: “We have said before that if the site cannot resolve the issue then they must consider closing until they can.”
