Hansard

This debate provides the opportunity to set out the intolerable conditions that residents in and around the Falkirk area have been subjected to as a direct consequence of sewage sludge spreading in nearby fields.

At the outset, I acknowledge and pay tribute to the commitment and perseverance of the members of Avonbridge and Standburn community council and in particular the convener Jo Hirst and secretary Doreen Goldie for gathering the necessary local intelligence to address this issue.

The stench from the sludge has meant that, at best, residents have been unable to sit outside and enjoy their gardens or to hang out washing. In some areas residents are not even able to open their windows on hot days, as the smell would make the rooms inside their homes unbearable to live in. At worst, the stench has resulted in residents who suffer from lung conditions such as asthma experiencing deterioration in their conditions when sludge was spread on nearby fields.

Perhaps the most shocking incident occurred last year, when a primary school sports day in California had to be cancelled because the stench was causing children to vomit in the playground. It is astounding that even after that incident, which a local community police officer witnessed, absolutely nothing was done to address the issue, which has been on-going for not just days, weeks or even months, but several years.

All that has taken place despite members of the community council last year presenting a letter of objection signed by 1,300 residents to Falkirk Council regarding the spreading of sewage sludge in fields, and despite the local community officer who attended the community council meetings being made fully aware of those issues. More worrying still, threats were made to members of the community council when they approached an individual who was contracted by Scottish Water to treat and spread the sludge about the stench and the spillage of sludge on roads during transportation, which creates a potential hazard. Complaints were also made to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Scottish Water, to no avail.

I was made aware of the situation by constituents and the community council, which prompted me to hold meetings with SEPA, Scottish Water, Falkirk Council environmental health and Police Scotland, at which the community council was represented by Jo Hirst and Doreen Goldie. Various issues emerged from those meetings. Some of the sewage had not been properly treated by those who were storing and distributing it to local farmers, which resulted in subsequent severe health issues for local residents. There is an issue about the adequacy of monitoring of the storage and processing of sewage sludge. SEPA contends that pressure on resources means that those who store and distribute sewage sludge are expected to self-monitor, which is open to abuse and error.

There has been a total failure on the part of any of the organisations with responsibility for various aspects of monitoring sewage sludge processing and spreading to take the lead in addressing the problem. Key analytical statistics and information on pricing were not readily available from SEPA and Scottish Water. The discrepancies in the storage and monitoring of the sludge have led Scottish Water to consider whether to take over the treatment and storage of sewage sludge in house. That would ensure that the sludge was treated properly before being spread in dry pellet form on to fields, which should reduce the stench.

No one is responsible for the monitoring of sewage sludge that is shipped from England, or brought in from Northern Ireland, to be stored and spread in Scotland. Reports persist of lorries carrying waste to holding sites in the Falkirk area at 2.30 and 4 o’clock in the morning.

Speaking to the petition that was lodged by Avonbridge and Standburn community council, which is currently under consideration by the Scottish Parliament Public Petitions Committee, the petitioners noted that wet sewage sludge that has not been obtained from Scottish Water has been deposited and left on top of farmland, without being properly dug in. Given that, I hope that the Public Petitions Committee will recommend that the Scottish Government takes steps to end the practice of spreading human waste on fields, now.

Let us be quite clear that there is huge potential to make big money out of the illegal spreading of sewage sludge, with cash changing hands indiscriminately and anonymously. That presents opportunities for organised crime and money laundering. Ruthless individuals set up businesses that operate under different company names to make easy money at the expense of intolerable living conditions for local residents, and it is far from clear that there is due diligence in checking those companies’ legitimacy.

Finally, in response to a parliamentary question that I asked about sewage sludge in April this year, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment stated that there would be a report from the review group during the summer. I would be grateful if, in her closing remarks, the Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform could update the Parliament on the progress of the review and, crucially, commit to a timetable for action.

The unpalatable truth is that there have been discussions, meetings and consultations on sewage sludge spreading dating back to the inception of this Parliament, but the deplorable conditions that local residents have been exposed to remain unchanged. It is for that reason that an holistic approach is needed from SEPA, Scottish Water, local councils, Police Scotland and the Scottish Government, all of whom have, by default, failed local residents, subjecting them to a totally unacceptable living environment.