Crackdown on illegal dumping
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Nine hauliers and individuals fined for dumping waste at beauty spot.
COVER STORY
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THE ENVIRONMENT Agency (EA) has signalled its intention to continue taking a tough stance with hauliers that take part in illegal waste dumping.
Last month it successfully prosecuted nine haulage companies and individuals involved in an illegal construction and demolition waste dumping operation at a designated Area of Natural Beauty. Fines totalling 04250 were imposed on the offenders.
The hearing at Maidstone Crown Court was told that during April and May 2008 an 8200m pile of waste was tipped at the Highways Agency (HA)-owned site in Polhill, Sevenoaks, Kent, next to the M25.
The pile, which included very small pieces of wood, plastic, metal, paper and tarmac, was 300m long. about 5m wide and up to 3m high.
David Eden, team leader for environmental crime at the EA, says: "Illegal waste sites put the environment and human health at risk and undermine legitimate businesses. Prosecution is always a last resort, but there will always be some people who are persistent offenders and determined to flout the law to their own ends, EA officers became aware of the operation in April 2008 following a tipoff. and during a two-day period witnessed 25 loads of waste being dumped at the site.
Over three weeks, hundreds of trucks queued at the area to dump illegal loads containing bricks and plastic pipes.
Sailesh Mehta. prosecuting, told the court the large-scale, audacious dumping operation had left the area in need of a £500,000 clean-up, The delendan is, who had failed to notify the HA about the operation, pleaded guilty to charges under the 1990 Environment Protection Act.
Sentences incLuded:
Pi Brown of Crawley. Sussex (currently in administration) fined £25,000. ordered to pay clean-up costs of £6250 and costs of £5,000. Peter Alexander, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent fined £14,000. ordered to pay clean-up costs of L16.000 and costs of £5,000.
Gregory Rolf, of Hartley, Kent fined £9,000, ordered to pay clean-up costs of £10,000 and costs of LIAO.
Marc Gwyther, of Crayford, Kent fined £4,000, ordered to pay £1.500 clean-up costs and costs of £1500. United Grab Hire, of Edenbridge, Kent fined £9,000, ordered to pay f500 clean-up costs and costs of £3,000.
LMD (Crashed Aggregates). of Banstead. Surrey fined £7.000, ordered to pay clean-up costs of £750 and costs of £3,000.
Craig Starbuck. of Bexley. Kern lined £2,000, ordered to pay cleanup costs of £200 and costs of £250. John Ryan, of Gillingham, Kent lined £250. ordered to pay clean-up costs of £200 and costs of £250.
BSP (Knockholt), of Severioaks, Kent fined 1.4,000, ordered to pay clean-up costs of £250 and costs of Judge Philip Statman, who handed out the sentences, said PJ Brown's role had been key and crucial, and that it had helped the operation by supplying
£375,000 bulldozer.
He added that the company. which went into administration last December soon after the summons was issued, could not escape responsibility for its actions.
Speaking to the defendants during sentencing, he said: "An extensive and expensive clean-up is required. hut there is no suggestion of damage to human or animal health.
"However, none of you bothered to check the bona fides of this site, which could have been done by checking with the EA."
• At a separate hearing at Sevenoaks Magistrates Court, Gillivans 'Transport of Haywards heath, Sussex, was tined more than E7,0131) for similar offences at the same site.