Strabathie Landfill

How Bad Could It Be?

At this juncture, most have probably started hearing about what is going on in Blackdog. Vattenfall, an energy company, has chosen to build a large substation over the now closed Strabathie landfill, and Vattenfall has been all too quick to say that uncovering the property to construct is nothing less than safe.

But Blackdog village strongly disagrees.

Strabathie has been reportedly operational since the 1930s, but it was licensed as a landfill in 1978. That means, that there is a 50 year window when anyone could dump anything they wished into the unlined earth. Without detailed records, this also means that no one can possibly know for certain what found its way into that landfill.

What could have been dumped there?

This is what the local residents, many of whom have lived in Blackdog their whole lives, remember:

1) Thirty lorry loads of asbestos used for insulation was dumped in the 1950s. 
2) “Rodine,” a brand of rat poison banned from use, was disposed of by the Council. 
3) Red oxide paints (believed to contain lead). 
4) Old cars and batteries 
5) Tyres from RAF Dyce 
6) Old building materials 
7) Human waste 
8) Deceased farm animals

Vattenfall is trying to convince the Formartine Area Committee that any possible contamination could be addressed, but there is reason to be concerned.

Look at the picture below. See that white spot? This picture was taken by a local resident as the construction workers were digging. Maybe the threat of asbestos is greater than Vattenfall thought, but they will never admit it.

As long as the workers are wearing proper equipment, there's no problem, right?

But, as a resident who spoke to them explained, the workers were not told that they were digging above an old landfill, let along a landfill that could contain dangerous substances.

The following is a sign from another landfill near the residents, the Toxic Beachside Tip. But this will have to wait for another day...