Campaign to close Parkwood Landfill gathers momentum

by Andrew Green

11th March 2002, 8.30 a.m. Walking past the Ski Slope over Parkwood Springs, I observed a large earth moving vehicle which was trundling backwards and forwards repeatedly over some freshly-dumped refuse. 
Each time it crossed the refuse, a large cloud of dust rose up and was taken by the southwest wind across the site to nearby houses on Shirecliffe and Kingsmead estates. I wondered how often this happened… 
Fire broke out on Parkwood Landfill site at 4.30 pm on 18th March. Burning diesel fuel sent clouds of black smoke across nearby homes while the fire brigade took 55 minutes to arrive. Diesel is stored on-site to fuel the generator running the flare which burns off gases, such as methane, produced by decaying refuse. 

The fire in turn has fuelled local residents’ campaign to close the tip. Sheffield City Council are currently holding a public inquiry into the landfill site. It follows campaigners’ vociferous protests and widespread publicity about smells and swarms of flies, and possible damage to local residents’ health from toxic materials contained in dust and particles blown off the site. 12% of waste dumped there is ‘special waste’, commonly called toxic waste. (See our report in the February Messenger .) 

Residents attending the Council inquiry felt they were being asked to prove the case for closure. They think the Council ought to obtain data independently. But the inquiry proposed to use monitoring data provided by Parkwood Landfill, who hope to keep the site open for the next 20 years. 

Brightside MP David Blunkett took a different view when he met residents’ representatives on 15th March. He agreed that assessment of the site’s effects should be based on truly independent data. He said he thought the site itself was a statutory nuisance, and said he intended to meet with the Council every month until the problem was resolved. Richard Caborn, our other local MP, has had two meetings with Parkwood Landfill Action group, and has undertaken to try to get permission to dump special (toxic) waste revoked. He wants an early end date set for the site’s planning permission. All local councillors favour closure.

Sheffield Health Authority’s public health expert Dr Rosy McNaught, who had previously refused residents’ pleas to conduct a detailed survey of the health of people living near the landfill, has been persuaded to change her mind. The Chemical Incident Response Service has been called in to examine the site and its effects on the surrounding area. The Environment Agency monitored air at the site from 12 to 18 February. 

At first, Sheffield Council claimed they had no power to close the site. But following a report on Nantygwyddon Landfill, that site was closed by the Welsh National Assembly. The report was authored by David W. Purchon, a former Sheffield environmental health officer. We understand that Mr Purchon is now examining the Parkwood site. 
Meanwhile Shirecliffe residents are reporting environmental effects for which they hold the site responsible – a reduction in the number of birds, and dead foxes and rats in their gardens. 

Contacts: Shirecliffe Tenants’ and Residents’ Association 242 3366
North Sheffield Action Group 
(Brian Wilson) 234 1019 

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