Residents left feeling sick from sewage sludge operation

People have been left feeling sick after complaining of a “foul stench” from a sewage sludge operation near Wattisham air base.

It has resulted in the site, operated by FGS Agri, being shut down preventing sewage sludge being ferried to and from the site for 56 days while an investigation is carried out.

The Environment Agency found a breach in regulation following complaints about the foul smell and that the operators had failed to take measures to prevent rain from washing sludge into nearby streams.

Suffolk County councillor Robert Lindsay welcomed the move to close the site and described it as having a “foul stench” and a “nasty odour”, which was making people wretch and feel sick.

Confirming the site was not operating, a spokesman for FGS Agri said that operations at the location “are conducted in full compliance with applicable environmental permits and regulatory requirements.”

The firm can appeal the closure but if it does not do so will have a month to clear the site.

Deben Climate Centre, a nearby environment-centred campaign group, said tests on the site showed ammonia levels 170 times higher than recommended safe levels.

They feared for the safety of animals in the area and raised the alarm about a potentially serious pollution incident.

Their tests also showed the presence of E. coli within the material.

The FGS Agri spokesman added: “The site is fully bunded, with all surface water and rainfall captured within a sealed drainage system and managed on-site, with no direct pathway to nearby watercourses.

“The presence of ammonia and E. coli within the operational area is consistent with the handling and treatment of biosolids and does not indicate any uncontrolled discharge or off-site pollution.

“Lime stabilisation and containment measures are in place to ensure risks are appropriately controlled in line with industry standards.”