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Contaminated land is a hidden scar on our landscapes. Thousands of sites across Wales are thought to have been contaminated by chemical waste, including Ty Llwyd quarry in Ynysddu.  

I’ve yet again raised the situation in the Senedd, asking for government support.

The rise in river pollution from these sites is becoming an increasing worry for many people, as we see more heavy rain and storms when leachate is carried down the mountainside into local waterways.

This is a poison seeping into our water. Friends of the Earth Cymru estimate that at least 45,000 sites across Wales could be contaminated, but we can’t know the actual figure because most have never been inspected properly.  

At Ty Llwyd quarry, foul-smelling brown liquid runs into woodland and the Sirhowy river after heavy rainfall.

We know that chemical waste was dumped by the company Monsanto there decades ago, and their legacy lingers on.  

Pollution at Ty Llwyd has been under investigation by Caerphilly County Borough Council for years, and a report that was meant to be released in October 2024 has still not been published. Many of us eagerly await its publication. 

The cabinet secretary told me, in his response, that Natural Resources Wales and Public Health Wales are reviewing the revised draft report now that further sampling has happened at the site, and the council will then make a final decision on the site’s regulatory status.

Residents feel let down, and I will keep pushing the Welsh Government and other public bodies to support my constituents so that they can have confidence that their community is safe.