SLR Help Secure Legal Victory for Composting Firm

Odour expertise provided by SLR Consulting has assisted a green waste composting firm win a landmark legal case which should reduce potentially damaging legal challenges against the waste and organics recycling sector.

This ruling comes at a time when odour regulation is changing due to the recent publication of the Environment Agency’s (EA) final version of the H4 Odour Management Guidance, which provides clearer guidelines as to what level of odour is acceptable from waste sites. Since its publication in April the EA has already advised several companies to significantly improve their Odour Management Plans (OMP) and review the measures to minimise odour release.

The composting site had been challenged over noise, emissions and odour from its 34-acre plant which process 16,000 tonnes of green waste per year.

SLR provided expert evidence demonstrating that there was no odour nuisance affecting the local community by carrying out a detailed review of site operations, site records, Environment Agency Inspections and complaint records which formed the basis of an expert witness statement which was subject to cross examination in the High Court.

SLR Principal Phil Branchflower said: “The judge agreed that our studies demonstrated that odour associated with the site was equivalent to that expected at a locality where planning permission has been given for a waste recycling facility and that these are not necessarily unpleasant or unreasonable.

“The EA’s new guidance emphasises the importance of having effective plans in place and we have recently provided odour expertise to a number of other clients operating waste, waste water and food processing facilities who have been subject to claims of nuisance. In some cases we have identified remedial measures that have resolved or reduced the odour impact and in others we have provided input to legal defences and settlements.”

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