Maendy Quarry

Residents are asking for clear answers about historic waste at Maendy Quarry, Upper Church Village. This is a community concern that crosses council boundaries, and it needs a national independent inquiry.

The residents' meeting

On 2 November 2026 around 134 residents attended a public meeting at St Illtyd's Church, Upper Church Village, to hear about the site and share their concerns. Local Members of the Senedd attended. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) did not attend.

Background

• Waste was deposited at the quarry from around 1964 into the 1970s.
• Welsh Government describes Maendy Quarry (west) as a closed waste disposal site in private ownership that received waste from a number of sources, including Monsanto in Newport, which was associated with PCB manufacture.
• Welsh Government has said the site has not been formally investigated or determined as contaminated land under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
• Leachate has been reported entering a local watercourse.
• Residents were told that testing by Manchester Metropolitan University found levels above relevant thresholds. [CHECK - not independently verified; keep as "residents were told" unless a published report is found]
• The issue was raised in the House of Commons in 1973 (Hansard, 25 June and 2 July 1973).

What I've done so far

1. Written to all six Members of the Senedd for the area and to Alex Davies-Jones MP, asking them to support a national independent inquiry.
2. Made requests under the Environmental Information Regulations to Natural Resources Wales and to Rhondda Cynon Taf Council for monitoring and contaminated-land information.
3. I'll share responses here as they arrive.

What residents are asking for

1. A national independent inquiry.
2. Full, published testing of water and sediment around the site.
3. Clear, regular public updates.

Have information or concerns?

If you live nearby and have experiences or information to share, please get in touch.

This page summarises public sources and residents' reported concerns. It does not allege wrongdoing by any person or organisation.