Hazardous memories have resurfaced as a former resident recalls living near the historic tips in Somercotes. Helen Brewin, aged 64, vividly remembers the pungent smell emanating from the landfills during the 60s and 70s. She described the sites, which were licensed by Derbyshire County Council, as starting near Stanley Street and forming a backward C shape around Norman Road before curving towards the current Amber Valley Rugby Club. Recently, two residents in Birchwood Lane fell ill shortly after construction work began on housing sites adjacent to the former landfills, prompting investigations by national health and local council officials.
Ms Brewin shared her childhood memories, stating: "There were huge piles of loose rocks and white shale, and they felt like mountains to us. We would climb up and then run down the other side and watch the workers, but would keep our distance." She recalled the presence of massive pools of water with barrels of various colours, some of which were damaged or had burst open. The chemical stench emitted by the landfills was overpowering, surpassing even that of the sewage plant.
Additionally, she recounted an incident where the tap in her family's outdoor washhouse produced a slimy liquid with an iridescent film, rather than the usual fresh water. This occurred around four or five years after companies started dumping barrels at the nearby landfills. The nocturnal activities of lorries driving up Norman Road were also a common occurrence, as reported by Ms Brewin and documented in newspaper archives dating back to the 1970s.
Peter Brewster, age 74, a resident of Bonnington Drive, corroborated these claims, drawing from his experience as a former lorry driver. Mr Brewster revealed that waste was supposed to be encased with several meters of clay, but instead, it was back-filled with soil and other materials.
Similar allegations have been made over the past 50 years, including reports of late-night dumping of hazardous waste from across the UK and the disposal of waste from the 1968 Coalite chemical works explosion in Bolsover. Robert Kerr, a resident of Lower Somercotes for around 50 years, vividly described the former landfill site as he reminisced: "You would walk up Norman Road, and it would be like looking down a canyon." He added that people in white overalls were often seen dumping waste into the landfills. Mr Kerr strongly believes that dioxin waste was also deposited there.
Supporting these accounts, an ex-employee of civil engineering firm Cammack, who preferred to remain anonymous, revealed that he had worked in Somercotes in 1978 when the landfills were operational. According to the former engineer, his brother-in-law transported toxic waste from Coalite in Bolsover to the landfill near the current site of Amber Valley Rugby Club.
He expressed astonishment at the subsequent landscaping of the area and the use of the land for sporting activities. The ex-employee warned of the toxic substances buried there, speculating about the potential dangers that may arise during construction.
Residents who have witnessed the operation of the LS01 landfill, such as an elderly individual from Lower Somercotes, have also attested to the presence of individuals in white suits tipping materials into the historic tip at night during the 70s. Official reports from the 90s confirmed the carcinogenic nature and partial radioactivity of many substances found on the site. It has since been revealed that undocumented waste was dumped there for decades prior to the existence of records.
The landfills operated at a time when disposal restrictions were less stringent and there was no obligation to maintain records. Derbyshire County Council issued a licence in 1977 for LS01, allowing the dumping of hazardous waste, including asbestos and tar.
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