The Environment Agency (EA) and Gloucestershire Constabulary have visited an unpermitted site in the Forest of Dean as part of an operation to tackle illegal waste activities.
During the unannounced site visit in Coleford yesterday (23 February), EA officers looked at end-of-life vehicle (ELV) dismantling activities. The officers collected and seized evidence including photographs and paperwork as part of the investigation.
Enquiries were also made into any suspected stolen vehicles and theft and fraud offences by local officers from Coleford Police Station.
The EA, which last year missed targets for closing down high-risk illegal waste sites, says that environmental permits are necessary ‘to ensure that activities at such sites do not pose a risk to the environment or harm to people, and that there is a level playing field for all operators’.
The agency adds: ‘Illegal sites do not benefit from the infrastructure required to prevent harmful materials entering rivers or ground waters, and consequently can have significant adverse impact on the local area.’
Working to close blights to communities
The EA lead investigating officer in the case said: “We seek to gather information from partner enforcement agencies and use this and other intelligence to actively target the operators of illegal waste sites. We can then use this information to close sites and prosecute criminals who flout the law, disregarding our environment and blight[ing] communities.
“Illegal activities impact on the local community and deprive local businesses of the opportunity to dispose of this waste lawfully. Homeowners and businesses have a duty of care to ensure their waste is being disposed of by a legitimate company and being taken to a site that is authorised to take such waste.”
Acting Inspector Paul Simmons of Gloucestershire Constabulary, said: “Police are assisting with enquiries into any suspected stolen vehicles and also any theft and fraud offences. Local officers from Coleford Police Station were on standby to allow the Environment Agency to undertake their enquiries and to prevent any breach of the peace.”
Bodmin man fined for illegal ELV operation
Earlier this month, a man who operated an illegal car-breaking business in Cornwall was ordered to pay £5,484 in fines and costs.
James Darke, 28, had used unpermitted sites for his JapScrap company, described by EA officers as ‘unsightly with a clear risk of pollution’.
Darke used sites in St Cleer between July and September 2013 and Bodmin between March 2014 and March 2015 to deposit, keep and break waste vehicles without an environmental permit.
More about how the EA tackles waste crime can be found in Resource’s feature article.
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There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.