Enva Composting Site

Enva Composting Site - PPC/A/1038376

SEPA acknowledges the impact odour can have on communities. We take complaints of odour from Enva’s composting site on Newhousemill Road, Blantyre seriously and are actively working with the operator to address the issues and secure compliance.

SEPA has frequently deployed staff to investigate odour both proactively and reactively. Offensive off-site odour has been substantiated on several occasions.

This page provides details of SEPA’s ongoing regulatory activities and progress at the site.

August 2023

From 1 April 2023, Enva ceased accepting mixed biodegradable (food and garden) waste to be processed on site to enable infrastructure upgrade works to be completed. The proposed upgrades comprise of an enclosure of the maturation shed, installation of an Aerated Static Pile (ASP) system in that building, and treatment of air via a new bio-filter prior to release to atmosphere.  The existing composting vessels (IVCs) will also undergo renewal and repair of doors, roofs and pipework. 

The site has continued to accept green waste (grass and plant cuttings with no food waste). Some mixed food and garden waste have continued to be accepted, bulked and transferred to alternative sites for treatment. This is anticipated to be the situation on site until the proposed infrastructure works are completed.

SEPA continue to consider these infrastructure upgrade proposals to be in line with Best Available Techniques (BAT) to manage odour on a composting site.  It is therefore acceptable to SEPA for the operator to change the proposed method to achieve compliance. 

SEPA assessed compliance with the Enforcement Notice by undertaking routine odour survey inspections twice a week throughout April and weekly through May. Offensive odours from the site were not substantiated on any occasion throughout this period. Through June and July SEPA undertook a mix of pro-active odour assessments and reactive assessments in response to a small number of complaints. Routine site inspections have also been carried out and further inspections are scheduled during August.

Following investigations SEPA officers concluded that odour complaints received on the 8th and 9th of April did not relate to the permitted site, and may have been the result of manure spreading on fields to the west of Earnock and Meikle Earnock. 

SEPA will continue to monitor compliance over the coming months.

 

Enforcement history 2019 - 2021

2021

  • Odour abatement system for the in-vessel units due to be completed by the end of January 2021. Commissioning delayed due to COVID outbreaks and difficulties getting parts into the UK from Europe.
  • Work was completed in June 2021. Evidence suggests that this has reduced odour from this part of the site, however, other potential odour sources remain, and offensive odour is still detectable beyond the site boundary.
  • A trial to install semi-permeable membrane covers over the windrows in the stabilisation shed is due to begin in January 2022. If this successfully reduces odour from compost piles, work would be undertaken to permanently install the covers across the site. During this time waste will have to be diverted from the site to allow for works to take place. This should reduce any odour potential during the period of the works.
  • SEPA continues to have regular meetings with the site to discuss their progress.
  • Enva has held public meetings to communicate progress with residents and intend continuing to use this forum.

2020

  • Permit variation appealed by Enva in January 2020.
  • Enva’s appeal unsuccessful (Nov 2020).
  • Enva submitted a variation application in May to increase the annual permitted tonnages. SEPA determine and issued with an upgrade condition requiring connection of in-vessel composting units to the biofilter to provide odour control.
  • In November, Enva employed Olfasense, a specialist odour consultant, to carry out monitoring and advise on further odour control measures.

2019

  • A permit variation was issued by SEPA in November to limit the monthly tonnage of waste accepted onto site to reduce odour.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I report a pollution incident?

SEPA's 24-hour pollution hotline is always available via our online reporting form at sepa.org.uk/report  or by telephone on 0800 80 70 60.

Contact SEPA as soon as you become aware of a potential pollution incident so we can begin investigations early. Provide as much information as you can, including the location and any relevant details.

If the complaint is related to odour, it is helpful for you to be as descriptive as possible so that we can try and ascertain where it may be coming from. This includes details such as the time you detected the odour, where you were and what it smelled like.

How can I contact Enva?

Pollution incidents including complaints relating to odour should be passed to SEPA. However, if you also wish to contact Enva directly in relation to pollution issues or to become involved in one of their public meetings you can do so using the email address: blantyreresidents@enva.com

Can SEPA provide feedback on investigations into reported pollution incidents?

We will provide updates via this page when new information becomes available, however, we must be careful not to provide unsubstantiated details or prejudice any enforcement action we may take.

Due to the number of reports received, we will not be able to provide an individual response to each pollution report.

How is odour regulated?

The Enva site is authorised under the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012 - PPC/A/1038376. The Regulations give SEPA the power to regulate activities which may cause offensive odours.