To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2023 to Question 184192 on Landfill: Air Pollution, if she will list (a) dates when the Environment Agency have conducted targeted monitoring to identify pollutant levels and investigated concerns and (b) locations where this monitoring has taken place in each of the last five years.

The Environment Agency has conducted its own monitoring around the following landfill sites in England in the last five years:

Table 1: Locations of ambient air monitoring by the Environment Agency near landfill sites between 2018 - 2023 and comparison with the 24-hour average WHO Guideline for hydrogen sulphide (H₂S).

Notes –

• Since April 2013, the Environment Agency has a statutory role only around the regulation of landfill sites in England. Natural Resources Wales have a similar role in Wales.
• The Environment Agency’s Ambient Air Monitoring Team has carried out these monitoring studies in England during the last five years using real time monitoring equipment located on or outside the boundary of the landfill sites.
• Other monitoring is required of the operator of the permitted site themselves. Part of assessing permit compliance at these installations by the Environment Agency is checking the monitoring processes and the data that is collected by the operator.
• Monitoring at these locations was triggered by a variety of issues and the results of the monitoring, presented in detailed reports, are used to inform the Environment Agency’s regulatory activities such as, requiring improvements to operations but also in some cases, the data was used to confirm that there weren’t any risks to the environment or human health.
• Examples of the detailed report that the Environment Agency’s Ambient Air Monitoring Team produce to accompany their ambient air monitoring around landfill sites can be seen here - https://engageenvironmentagency.uk.engagementhq.com/22781/widgets/64777/documents/39289
• More information on the Environment Agency’s Mobile Monitoring Facilities can be found here - https://engageenvironmentagency.uk.engagementhq.com/air-quality-monitoring/widgets/60780/videos/3626