Historic coastal landfill and legacy waste

Research undertaken by geographers at Queen Mary University of London into the extent and severity of legacy and future pollution risk of coastal historic landfills (CHL) has accelerated awareness of the issue, informed changes to coastal and waste policy, and contributed to new best practice guidelines and recommendations for management of CHLs.

 

Issue

The Environment Agency (EA) identifies more than 20,000 ‘Historic Landfills’ in England and Wales which pre-date modern environmental regulation and waste management technologies. Many sites are at risk of flooding and coastal erosion, which could have significant effects on ecological health and environmentally sensitive areas.

 

Approach

The research is underpinned by knowledge on marine pollution and the impact of disturbance events such as flooding, erosion and dredging. This led to the EA and Essex County Council approaching the research team to investigate the potential for coastal realignment along the Essex coast in areas where there are CHLs.

 

Impact

The team have increased understanding for regulators and policy-makers of CHL waste pollution at national and international levels by reporting findings to the United Nations, EA, Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, Thames Estuary Assessment Management, and local authorities.

The research has informed public understanding through ‘The Secret Life of Landfill: A Rubbish History’, a BBC4 documentary which attracted over one million views.

The research also contributed to ‘800,000 tonnes: Waste Management and Recycling in Essex’, a National Lottery and Arts Council funded public programme of displays, site tours and discussions run by Focal Point Gallery, Southend.

The research has directly informed local shoreline management practices in Essex and South Suffolk and the Thames Estuary in areas where coastal waste is present and at risk from flooding and/or erosion. Internationally, this work has also led to the Netherlands and Belgium carrying out national assessments of their landfill datasets to evaluate flood and erosion risk.

The research has improved industry awareness. In 2013, the CIRIA – the independent, not for profit provider of good practice guidelines for the construction industry, local authorities and the EA – identified outputs from Queen Mary’s research in its ‘Guidance on the management of landfill sites and land contamination on eroding or low-lying coastlines’.

 

More information

• Read the full impact case study in the REF21 database

• Eroding our future - Queen Mary University of London

Institution: Queen Mary University of London

Researchers: Professor Kate Spencer, Dr James Brand