A former landfill site in South Staffordshire is to be dug up for a gas main to be moved, leading to concerns about toxic gases being released into the air.

In excess of 50 tons of clinical, domestic and industrial waste was dumped at Essington’s Rosemary Quarry during the 1980s before the landfill section of the site was capped under a metre of clay more than a decade later.

It has now emerged the cap may have to be drilled and removed for National Grid to re-route a high-pressure main running through the site.

District and parish councillor David Clifft, chairman of Essington Parish Council and a member of the liaison group for Ibstock, which runs the quarry, said today: “The current position of the main splits the quarry and stops Ibstock from removing any clay below it.

“This means that National Grid need to reroute it and one option is to divert around the perimeter of the vast site.

“This is, however, causing some concern as to do this would mean removing a one metre clay cap which covers the landfill site. Removing the cap would release trapped gases and everthing else into the atmosphere.”

Councillor Clifft, who has reported the plans to Essington Parish Council, said engineers may have to drill a number of bore-holes on the landfill site to a great depth to carry out survey work.”

National Grid spokeswoman Jane Taylor said today: “We have continued to monitor how close work gets to the gas main and it needs to be diverted. It is a long project and will take place later this year.”