SITA Completes 16m Ness Landfill Restoration in Aberdeen

A £16million environmental project lasting four years to clean-up and restore the former Ness landfill site has been completed by SITA UK in Aberdeen. The waste and recycling company - a subsidiary of SUEZ Environnement (Paris: SEV, Brussels: SEVB) – explained that it was appointed by Aberdeen City Council to prevent the site from becoming an environmental hazard. Ness landfill is just two kilometres south of Aberdeen city centre and occupies a former sand and gravel quarry. According to SITA the site contains approximately three million tonnes of waste collected from local homes and businesses over a period of 30 years. The company added that much of the waste had been deposited uncontained, leading to the pollution of groundwater and the local coastline. The site also suffered from the escape of odorous landfill gas and was in breach of its environmental obligations. Following the signing of a wider 25 year waste management services contract in July 2000, Aberdeen City Council appointed SITA UK to clean up and restore the site. Also in 2000, engineering consultants, Fairhurst were appointed as environmental engineer by SITA to advise on environmental issues, compile and implement an environmental monitoring plan, design site restoration work, prepare contract documentation, tender the works and provide site supervision and construction quality assurance. SITA explained that the remediation plan, claimed to be the single largest restoration project in Scotland, was developed in close liaison with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and put into place in 2009 following six years of extensive testing to monitor and assess the extent of pollution from the Council’s former facility. The installation of an impermeable cap to seal the site and prevent rainwater from percolating through the waste where it would pick up contaminants and pollute groundwater was central to the plan. SITA said that leachate control systems have now been installed to collect existing leachate within the site, allowing levels to be controlled and pollution minimised. In addition, the installation of a surface water collection and management system is also helping to control water flow on the 500,000 square metre site, and preventing flooding. The company added that capping the site has controlled the escape of landfill gas. This gas is now being collected to determine whether it is suitable for a landfill gas to energy project. Landscaping According to SITA extensive landscaping works have also been undertaken to improve the visual aspect of the area by restoring it to open grassland and helping it blend in with the surrounding environment. Further to this, access improvements have been made on the publicly accessible parts of the site, which is said to have scenic views over the city and beyond. New paths have been constructed and a leaflet produced highlighting the history and ecology of the area. “Aberdeen City Council has had to commit significant funds to address the legacy of landfill. Whilst we are proud of the outcome, a major project delivered on time and under budget, this site is a clear example of why we must move away from landfill,” commented councillor Neil Cooney, convener of housing and environment at Aberdeen City Council. Read More Trigeneration Project Using Landfill Gas Powered Fuel Cells With the promise of ultra-low emission power generation, fuel cells have long been the holy grail of the power industry. Now one U.S. based company is deploying a carbonate fuel cell powered by landfill gas in Vancouver. Cutting the Risk of Landfill Fires With the average landfill site having a 60% statistical risk of fire each year, it's critical that operators have an emergency plan in place. So if disaster strikes, just how do you cut your losses? Security Advice for Landfill Owners who Pay the Price for Criminal Activity Security specialist, Niall Burns explains how and why landfill owners must protect themselves from criminal activity and how they can go about it…