Over 260 complaints have been made about landfill sites in Wales – on average - every year since 2001.
According to information obtained by Shadow Minister for the Environment, Welsh Conservative Assembly Member Russell George, over 3,200 complaints and duplicate complaints have been made since April 2001.
12 court actions have been brought against landfill sites during that time, with fines ranging from 750 pounds to 45 thousand pounds – along with one acquittal.
Almost 60 sites are listed by the Minister for Natural Resources in his response to a written assembly question from the Welsh Conservatives. Those receiving the most complaints include Llandullas Landfill in Conwy, Trecatti Landfill in Merthyr Tydfil, and Hafod Landfill in Wrexham.
Mr George said:
“While some complaints regarding landfill sites are inevitable, these figures are startling in their severity and highlight a number of problem sites across Wales.
“Hundreds of complaints and duplicate complaints at one site clearly requires further investigation, clarity, and a guarantee that improvements have been made.
“While many of these complaints may go back a number of years, these figures are worrying enough to deserve a statement from the Labour minister and clarification of his intentions.
“New technologies – such as anaerobic digestion – which reduce the amount of landfill gas in the atmosphere, are not being properly supported by Labour ministers.
“The first minister’s recent ‘energy vision’ for Wales contained almost no reference to this technology – a glaring omission that must be clarified.”