On Wednesday 3 June the Environment Agency’s West Midlands
illegal waste site team joined forces with the Warwickshire
Police Rural Crime team to attend an illegal waste site in
the Bulkington area of North Warwickshire.
They found the land was being filled with general waste
materials and topped off with soil. The land was not
permitted to be receiving waste materials of any kind.
At the time of their attendance, officers witnessed two
articulated lorries at the site, which were in the process of
being unloaded. The officers instructed the drivers to refill
the lorries with the waste they had deposited and move off
the site. An excavator that was on hire was also repatriated
to its owner.
During the visit, police officers also identified and seized
a previously stolen piece of plant machinery. An
investigation into the illegal waste activity is now under
way.
A spokesperson for the illegal waste sites team, said:
There may be a global pandemic affecting the UK but that
doesn’t give waste criminals an excuse. We remain committed
to reducing waste crime and reducing the opportunities for
those operating illegally to do so.
Land and property owners need to be extra vigilant during
this pandemic to avoid being a victim of waste crime. Waste
criminals are targeting land and property, they may offer
cash to store waste promising to come back and remove it
but never do, or, they may dump the waste without the
owner’s knowledge.
We urge owners to check empty land and property regularly
and make sure they are secure as any waste stored on their
property without the relevant permissions could leave the
landowner liable to prosecution and costs to remove the
waste.
Everyone has a part to play to help solve the waste crime
problem and make sure waste is managed responsibly. If you
pass your waste to someone else to take away for you, you
must first check they are registered with the Environment
Agency so it doesn’t end up in the hands of operators who
break the law.
Businesses and householders should carry out checks to ensure
that they are using legitimate companies to deal with their
waste. You can check if a waste carrier is genuine by
visiting the Environment Agency’s public register.
Anyone who suspects a company is operating illegally can call
the Environment Agency 24/7 on 0800 80 70 60 or report it
anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Notes to editors
-
An illegal waste site is any site routinely operating
without a permit or outside of its permit limits. They
pose a risk of harm to the health of people and the
environment.
-
Waste site owners should make sure their site is legal
and check they have
the right permit for their activities.
-
You must register with the
Environment Agency to legally operate as a waste
carrier, broker or dealer.
-
More information
on the Environment Agency’s regulatory approach.
-
To support business to meet the challenge of operating
during the pandemic, the Environment Agency has put in
place a number of regulatory position statements, which
help businesses minimise risks to the environment and
human health where, for reasons beyond their control,
compliance with certain regulatory requirements may not
be possible due to coronavirus.
