Campaigners have joined
forces to wipe out potentially
harmful landfill sites.
Zero Landfill has been set up by
action groups in Thakeham and
Washington, near Storrington, and
Small Dole, near Steyning.
The campaigners hope to end the
practice of burying rotting rubbish underground.
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They say landfill is harmful to
the environment because the breakdown
of waste produces greenhouse
gases. Landfill sites could
also damage the health of people
living close to them by polluting water supplies.
All the groups involved in Zero
Landfill are opposing existing or
potential tips in their own communities.
Small Dole has lived with a landfill
site in one form or another for
the past 40 years and residents had
hoped contractors Viridor Waste
Management would leave the site last month.
But they were appalled to learn
West Sussex County Council had
extended the licence to tip
non-hazardous waste only yards
from their home until 2010.
Small Dole Action Group
spokesman Chris Warren said:
"The landfill site has been there for
two generations, harming our
health by polluting the air we
breathe. The sooner we stop land
filling and start using alternatives,
the better for everyone in Small
Dole and everywhere else."
Thakeham Village Action campaigners
hope the new group will
end the threat of a potential landfill
site at Laybrook Brickworks.
Chanctonbury Landfill Action
Group was formed in 2006 to oppose
proposals by Veolia Environmental
Services to turn a sand quarry in
Washington into a landfill site.
The site borders an area of outstanding
natural beauty and is
above an underground reservoir
feeding the water supply.
Chanctonbury spokesman John
Auckland said: "We are completely
opposed to plans for a landfill site
at Rock Common in Washington. It
would devastate the quality of life
in this area for decades. But no
landfill site anywhere can be
acceptable."
Zero Landfill was set up after a
"waste summit" organised by
Arundel and South Downs MP Nick
Herbert.
He said: "I'm convinced Britain
needs to kick its habit of dumping
rubbish in landfill sites. We must
reduce waste and move towards far
greater rates of recycling."
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