Brian Whittle MSP has put more pressure on the Scottish Government to clarify the future of Tarbolton Landfill after its operators went into administration last year.
The South Scotland MSP challenged Roseanna Cunningham, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform during Portfolio Questions to clear up the mystery over who will be responsible for maintaining the site and preventing damage to the local environment.
The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, SEPA, are responsible for regulating the environmental impact of landfill sites but the Cabinet Secretary indicated that the official receiver was the one required to meet legal obligations. She also indicated that the council might have to take action to address the situation.
With landfill set to be banned across Scotland in the coming years, there are growing concerns about who will be expected to pick up the tab for maintaining existing sites until they’re no longer an environmental hazard.
Brian Whittle MSP said:
“The situation at Tarbolton Landfill continues to cause concern to local residents who are worried about smells and the potential for contaminated water to escape the site. This site is likely to need ongoing maintenance and monitoring for years, so it needs a long-term solution.
I’m disappointed the Cabinet Secretary couldn’t offer a solution beyond suggesting that council’s may have to become involved. With landfill due to be phased out soon, it’s worrying that there doesn’t seem to be a clear procedure in place to deal with a situation when a site doesn’t have an operator but still needs to be maintained. I will continue to push for a swift resolution to this serious issue”
