Closed Council-run Landfill Sites in Worcestershire

The County Council presently manages nine closed landfill sites in Worcestershire. Rubbish is no longer tipped at these sites, although Household Waste Sites are available at the Hanbury, Hallow Road and Quantry sites.

Further details of individual sites can be found by clicking on their names on the map above.

There are many private landfill sites in the county. The County Council has no responsibility for them. If you want information regarding current or old landfill sites, please call the Environment Agency on 01562 606312

Council owned sites are monitored regularly for landfill gas and leachate, and surface and groundwaters are also sampled to ensure no contamination is present.

• Landfill gas is a by-product of the decomposition of biodegradeable wastes that are placed into the landfill. It is made up of predominantly methane and carbon dioxide, and has to be monitored as under certain conditions it can be an explosive risk or cause asphyxiation
  
• Leachate is a liquid that is formed when the waste decays. Rainfall percolating through the waste will dissolve soluble components of the waste, but leachate will also contain insolubles such as oils and small particles. It has to be monitored as it can be toxic and cause damage to the surrounding environment if it is not treated correctly

Landfill gas is a by-product generated from the decomposition of biodegradable wastes such as household waste. The major constituents of landfill gas are methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) although other gases are also found as minor constituents such as carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen sulphide (H₂S).

Typically 45% - 65% of landfill gas is methane. At certain concentrations a mixture of methane or hydrogen may ignite causing fires or explosions, this is known as the flammable or explosive range. For methane this is between 5% and 15% by volume. Below 5% ( the lower explosive limit or LEL) there is insufficient gas to support a flame and above 15% ( the upper explosive limit or UEL) there is insufficient oxygen to support combustion.

Carbon dioxide is a toxic gas which will cause asphyxiation at elevated levels in confined spaces. Generally there is no permanent disabling effect at concentrations of up to 10% by volume carbon dioxide, however at concentrations of up to 22% by volume the effects are more likely to be fatal.

Waste in a landfill site will undergo degradation as a result of the activity of a number of micro-organisms. Each group of micro-organisms will perform a specific reaction or series of reactions resulting in the degradation of organic materials such as vegetable matter, cardboard, paper and wood into leachate and finally landfill gas.

Where the waste in the landfill is either organic, biodegradable or mixed the primary constituents will be the same, primarily carbohydrates, lipids, inorganic salts and proteins. Carbohydrates make up about 85% of this and are the main carbon source. The carbohydrates are broken down to give landfill gas, carbon dioxide and heat.

                         C₆H₁₂O₆ ---------3CH₄ + 3CO₂ + heat + biomass

Leachate production is an inevitable consequence of the landfilling of wastes, it is a process that can last for a number of decades, possibly in excess of 100 years on larger contained sites. Leachate is the liquid residue resulting from the various chemical, physical and biological processes taking place within the landfill. The composition of the leachate will very much depend on the type of waste within the landfill and will vary from well to well.

During the early stages of anaerobic degradation (without the presence of oxygen) the leachate will typically exhibit high concentrations of volatile fatty acids, acidic pH, high BOD to COD ratio and high levels of ammoniacal nitrogen and organic nitrogen. This first phase is called acetogenisis and can last for up to ten years. Following this methanogenisis starts. Many of the fatty acids responsible for the acidic pH and high BOD levels have been converted into methane and carbon dioxide and a methanogenic leachate is characterised by a neutral to alkaline pH, low concentrations of fatty acids and lower levels of ammoniacal nitrogen. This methanogenic stage can last for up to and above 100 years.

As leachate is known to have a toxic effect on the surrounding environment it is important that the liquid is contained within the site, or discharged in a controlled manner. The closed landfill sites under the care of Worcestershire County Council are continuously monitored, with chemical testing of the leachate and the groundwater being carried out to monitor any changes to the local environment.

Our sites are monitored for Landfill Gas and Leachate on a weekly or monthly basis, depending on the site requirements. for further details of our monitoring schedule, or any other information please call 01905 768256

For useful links relating to Landfill Sites click here.