Landfill operator in tests over ‘escape of putrid blue liquid’

The material was spotted at Willerby in the East Riding near a former landfill site run by Dispit Ltd.

Officials said they could not definitively say the liquid had come from the landfill site, but Dispit was trying to rectify the situation. They say a “small” area of an adjacent agricultural field had been affected.

Felix Gruber, who lives nearby, and reported the problem, said: “Contaminating 150 square metres of soil and God knows how far underground is not right.

“The Environment Agency are saying it could be from them or not from them. It is ridiculous.

“You could see it coming out from the boundary line to the council land, which is used for agriculture.”

Ken Hepke, who lives half a mile away, said he was concerned about the impact on the groundwater.

He added: “The problem is no one knows what’s gone in over the years.”

An Environment Agency spokesman said engineering works were under way to install a secondary drainage system to ensure the risk of liquid escaping from the landfill was “minimised”.

“Following reports of an unknown liquid in a field next to the Dispit Ltd landfill on Albion Lane, Willerby, we have been working closely with the landfill operators and their environmental contractors to investigate any potential pathways for liquids from the landfill to escape,” he said.

“As yet, we have no definitive evidence to confirm that the liquid in the field is directly attributable to Dispit Ltd but they are conducting works on the presumption that liquid has escaped from the landfill and are seeking to rectify the situation.”

Dispit said it was still waiting for test results, adding: “Our understanding of the situation differs from that of the concerned resident.

“Should the results show that the liquid is leachate from the closed section of the landfill site, Dispit will continue to work with the Environment Agency to address the issue.”