Scientists highlight increasing risks to coastal landfill sites amid climate change
Researchers from the University of Southampton and Queen Mary University of London have produced new industry guidelines on the environmental risks for landfill sites affected by coastal change.
The findings highlighted increasing risks for around 2,000 historic landfill sites, where rising sea levels could flush pollutants into our oceans and coastal erosion could spill waste onto beaches and into the sea.
Professor Robert Nicholls, a Professor of Coastal Engineering at Southampton, said: “The geological timescale of coastal landfill means that this problem will not solve itself and we have to start addressing flooding and erosion of landfills now, otherwise this will be a major problem in the future.”
Working with interested parties, including Local Authorities and the Environment Agency, University researchers have outlined options to help manage the risks faced by landfill sites on the coast including improved sea defences against rising sea levels, additional monitoring or even removing the landfilled waste.