AN environmental study will get under way on Monday (March 31) at a former sand and clay pit in Ellesmere Port.
The borough council has commissioned the work as part of its investigations into sites that were used to tip waste around 50 years ago when the regulations were less stringent.
The pits dug at Capenhurst Lane were used for the disposal of domestic waste between 1956 and 1963.
The council’s aim is to find out the exact nature of the waste remaining in the ground and assess whether any remedial action is necessary.
The first step will be for environmental consultants URS to drill boreholes at points across the site from which samples of gas will be collected and analysed. Soil and groundwater samples will also be collected for analysis.
Drilling at the site, which is now used as a public space, will take place for one week, then gas monitoring will be carried out over the following 12 weeks.
A small number of boreholes will also be drilled into a small clay pit and an infilled pond within the grounds of schools off Capenhurst Lane.
Mike Whittaker, the council’s head of environmental services, said: “A change in the law in 2000 means we are now able to investigate former tips like this.
“Capenhurst Lane is the latest in a number of sites we have successfully secured government funding to investigate.
“All residents in the area have been contacted and given information about the forthcoming work in this area.
“We very much hope they might be able to help us piece together exactly how this land was used and would be very interested to hear from people who might remember this land being used as a tip.”
He added: “Once we have the initial results, we’ll inform residents straight away and decide whether any additional work needs to take place at the site.”
The work on the site will be restricted to a small area at a time so the fields can remain open to the public. Dog owners are requested to keep their pets on a lead while the work is carried out.
Residents who have any questions or information about the site should contact Environmental Protection Officer Laura Fitzpatrick on 0151 356 6799.
