Haulier fined for dumping
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Words: Simon Jan' A NORTH DEVON haulier and local councillor has pleaded guilty to five offences of illegally depositing and storing waste at sites around Ilfracombe.
Paul C:rabb, who runs groundworks firm Crabb's Haulage, and is a member of North Devon District Council and llfracombe Town Council — and a former mayor of Ilfracombe — was ordered to pay £3,000 in lines and 110,000 in costs by Exeter Crown Court. In April 2008, the Environment Agency (EA) visited Crabb's site at Old Gasworks Yard in Ilfracombe, which has an 0-licence for four vehicles and two trailers, to had piles of waste, including scrap metal. wood, stone, fridges and crushed cars. Crabh was told he did not have an environmental permit to deposit waste at the site.
In February 2009, a pile of waste rubble and bricks deposited by Crabb's firm was found at Lee Meadow Farm in Ilfracombe, but Crabb failed to respond to requests to provide waste transfer notes.
The EA then visited Old Gasworks Yard in June 2009 and found new, added waste.
Sean McKay, for the EA, says:"The defendant chose to ignore the agency's advice and operate illegally, despite repeated warnings, and left the agency no option but to prosecute him." The court was told the haulage yard lacked the necessary facilities to ensure the waste operations would not cause pollution, excessive dust or smells and did not have a permit for the activities.