What to include in your leachate management plan
Summary
The Environment Agency has published guidance on what a leachate management plan should contain for hazardous and non-hazardous landfill sites. It sets out expectations for written management systems, review frequency, contingency arrangements, odour control and ensuring leachate management does not undermine landfill gas collection or permit compliance.
Why it matters
For surveyors involved with landfill, contaminated land or site due diligence, this guidance clarifies the operational and compliance framework that can affect site risk, environmental performance and permit status. It is also relevant where landfill infrastructure, hydrogeological risk and odour or gas management may influence valuation, inspection findings or redevelopment constraints.
Key points
- Landfill operators must have a written leachate management plan as part of their permit requirements.
- Plans should cover extraction, monitoring, treatment, contingency measures and odour reduction.
- The plan should be reviewed alongside the hydrogeological risk assessment, with some review frequencies changed from 4 years to 6 years.
- Leachate management must not compromise landfill gas collection systems.
- The Environment Agency may require more frequent reviews where a voluntary action or improvement plan is in place.
This is an RPSA summary of a publicly available article. The full content remains with the original publisher.
