The Llwyneinion liaison committee hopes to hear the results of the latest report into the pit at its meeting on June 4 and seven companies have joined local companies In-Vessel Composting and Enviroclear in bidding for the contract to clean up the site. Scientific tests have also been carried out on the site in the past few weeks.

People living in Rhos, near Wrexham, have long been worried about the health and environmental effects of the Llwyneinion pit, containing an estimated 110,000 tonnes of liquid acid tar.

The tar, a by-product of oil refining, was dumped into the disused brick clay quarry before 1972 when it was mistakenly assumed it would set.

Firefighters who tackled a blaze at the site in the 1980s say they have since suffered health issues, and there are villagers who blame the pit for a number of serious health problems.

A report into the waste land, discussed at the Stiwt theatre in October, decided that the area would not be classified as contaminated land, yet failed to quell fears that the waste left at the former chemical tip may eventually affect the health of nearby residents.

"It's all fenced off now and we've managed to keep everyone off it," said Ponciau county councillor Paul Pemberton, chairman of the liasion committee. A series of tests have been done on the site over the last few weeks. Tests have also been carried out on behalf of Wrexham council by the Environment Agency and a contractor in the last few weeks.

"The council secured funding from the Welsh Assembly Government to assess the site and see what's there.

"Seven other companies have come forward and the council is in talks with them at the moment and looking at the options. People come with high hopes but they don't realise the enormity of the site.

"Some of the people interested in doing the job are daunted by the size of it, and there's a lot of stuff in there.

"I'm pleasantly surprised at the amount of people that have come forward. A lot seem confident they can do something with it.

"Where the funding will come from is a different thing but if we look at their operations we might be able to do something there."