Nick Parry
BBC Wales News Website |
 A final decision on the application is due within weeks |
A rubbish disposal crisis is looming in Swansea as the city's landfill site may be full by March. The Environment Agency is seriously considering rejecting an application which would extend the life of the Tir John tip on Fabian Way.
This would mean the city's rubbish would have to be exported to other parts of Wales, or even further afield.
Swansea council said it had contingency plans in place.
 |  The implications of the landfill site closing would be significant to say the least  |
The Swansea City Waste Disposal Company - an arm's length company, wholly owned by Swansea Council - has applied to the Environment Agency for a Pollution Prevention and Control permit for Tir John.
Tied up in the application is an extension to the tip.
The Environment Agency said to date the application had failed to address a number of concerns.
It said it was "currently minded to refuse the application" although a final decision was not expected for several weeks.
Tir John is surrounded on three sides by Crymlyn Bog, a Site of Special Scientific Interest that also includes a nature reserve.
Big challenge
The agency's environmental management team leader for the Swansea area, Darren Herbert, said: "At the moment it is looking as if the application will be refused.
"If the application is refused then it is almost inevitable that the site will have to close for a period.
"The implications of the landfill site closing would be significant to say the least."
Tir John has already cut back on the volume of commercial waste it accepts with many skip operators and builders having to travel to Pwllfawatcyn near Pontardawe, Nantycaws in Carmarthen and Trecatti near Merthyr Tydfil.
| The local residents have put up with many things over the years |
Mr Herbert said whether these sites could accept Swansea's domestic waste would depend on their current capacity.
Last month the National Audit Office for Wales warned many sites in Wales were already close to being full and the nation would run out of places to handle rubbish by 2010 unless action is taken.
Mr Herbert added: "We are being encouraged to move away from landfill by European legislation.
"This is a big challenge for everyone, the public, ourselves as regulators, local authorities and government."
He said the agency had met informally with the council and waste company to discuss the situation.
'Lack of planning'
In a statement Swansea council said: "Swansea City Waste Disposal Company has made an application to the Environment Agency to extend operations at Tir John.
 The Tir John site has already been cutting back on private waste |
"The company is awaiting the agency's decision.
"However, in the event of the application being turned down the company has contingency plans in place to ensure that waste is properly disposed of.
"In any event it is anticipated that there will be no change to collection services to residents or cost to the council."
Roy Jones, chairman of the Swansea Branch of Friends of the Earth, claimed people living near Tir John would welcome its closure.
"The local residents have put up with many things over the years," he said.
"They would be very happy if it shut."
He blamed a lack of planning and recycling in the past for the current situation.
"Swansea council is now doing very well and hitting its recycling targets," he said.
"Swansea did not have its own bottle bin until about 1990 which we bought. If they (the council) had really taken up recycling then and promoted it then we would have less need for Tir John now."
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