Stonefoot Disposal Site

Friday 30 April 2010

Client: Interserve Facilities Management Ltd on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

Date: 2001 to present

Following the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in 2001 CL Voelcker (formerly CL Associates) were instructed to carry out a Ground Investigation at the former Stonefoot Colliery site near Tow Law, Bishop Auckland.

CLVoelcker installed some 30 boreholes within a tight timeframe to acquire both geotechnical and geochemical information on the restored opencast coal working. The detailed ground investigation and testing were designed (in consultation with the Environment Agency), directed and supervised by CLV with support from other ESG divisions including Scientifics (formerly TES Bretby) and Soil Mechanics.

CLV completed an Environmental Assessment report in 2001 to ensure that any potentially significant environmental impacts resulting from the deposition of animal carcasses in burial pits were identified and that appropriate control measures were incorporated into the design, operation and eventual decommissioning of the site.

The DEFRA commissioned facility was designed to provide an environmentally secure facility for the disposal of approximately 250,000 carcasses of both sheep and cattle which were slaughtered as a consequence of the FMD outbreak.

Since 2001 CLV have provided comprehensive gas, groundwater, surface water and leachate monitoring, sampling and laboratory testing together with monthly, quarterly and biannual reports aimed at detecting any signs of potential leakage from the containment (if this were to occur) into the groundwater and surface water. No problems have been detected and routine monitoring continues.

Update June 2009

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