Calls for action as quarry fails to control dust

Villagers have called for work at a quarry to be paused after an Environment Agency (EA) report said operators had failed to stick to dust-control measures.

Ashcourt, which runs the site in Springwell Village, Sunderland, had not "adequately" addressed issues within its dust management plan or adopted subsequent EA recommendations, the agency said.

Dust has been found at people's homes and resident Liz Reid said while the report "vindicated" people's concerns, there had to be tougher action.

Ashcourt, which has previously said it is a "responsible operator" and is engaging with local residents, has been approached for comment. The EA said the site remained "under active investigation".

Reid said: "We want enforcement action.

"It's very clear that this site is not the right place for this size, scale or nature of operation - we would like it stopped."

Chris Green, from Springwell Village Residents Association, added: "How much more reporting must we do for one of these bodies to stand up and say 'stop, we need to pause'?"

The quarry, which is no longer used for mining stone and is now a material processing plant, deals with the debris from the Gateshead flyover demolition.

In its report, the EA said its officers had observed "dust-producing activities which are still not being mitigated effectively".

"While there have been no clear cases of visible dust crossing the site boundary, dust samples have been collected from nearby homes on several occasions.

"This evidence suggests that dust is leaving the site and causing pollution."

The EA added a mobile monitoring unit would be deployed for several months to test for "respirable" dust particles, which can be inhaled into the lungs.

Lynne McKevitt, who has been living in the village for 35 years, said the situation had been taking its toll on residents, with some people saying they had not been able to open their windows.

"It could be putting people off from living in what is a lovely village," she added.

An EA spokesperson said it would not hesitate to take "robust enforcement action where appropriate to protect the environment and the public".

Sunderland City Council added it was "progressing" additional noise and air quality monitoring, with development control officers "pursuing a number of planning-related inquiries".

"We recognise the concerns of local residents and appreciate their continued engagement," a spokesperson said.

"We will provide a coordinated update once this work has been completed."

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