Work begins on clearing the southern section of the site

The image shows an excavator clearing waste from the southern part of the site. This area is narrower and more confined, so the work is more complex and will take a little more time.

We have already removed more than 400 lorry loads of waste from the site. This is an important step in reducing the risks to the surrounding area.

In the northern section, we have found pockets of buried waste, in some places up to two metres deep. We will remove this once the more accessible waste has been cleared, so we can continue to work at pace.

We continue to monitor the site closely. Temperature probes show that conditions remain stable, which reduces the risk of fire.

We are also sampling water from the River Cherwell every two weeks, where conditions allow. This will continue until all the waste has been removed. The results so far show chemical levels similar to those found in other rivers across England. These are at very low levels and are not expected to cause harm to the environment.