Contaminated land case study - Castletown, Caithness

Residents of 150 properties in Castletown, Caithness recently received a warning from the Highland Council of an investigation to see if gas is being generated by a former landfill site in the village. Work has begun to identify whether or not gasses are moving towards the neighbouring properties.

The landfill was operated by the former Caithness County and District councils during the 1970s and 80s. It was last monitored around 10 years ago and showed no signs of gas being generated. However, since the tests were carried out, improvements have been made in the techniques in landfill gas monitoring and also the procedures for assessment of gas problems. The council plans to monitor the site for gasses such as methane and carbon dioxide.

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