Residents plagued by foul smells and dust from waste sites helped trigger enforcement action that led to two illegal waste sites being shut down and an environmental permit being revoked in Lancashire.
Environment Agency officers took action at Simonswood and Williams Brothers Industrial Estates in West Lancashire after complaints from local residents. Operators were ordered to cease activity or face prosecution.
The intervention was one of dozens carried out as part of Operation Unite, an 18-week nationwide enforcement operation targeting permitted waste sites suspected of being involved in criminal activity the Agency announced today (Friday 24 July).
Launched in March, the operation saw Environment Agency officers visit 42 sites across England. The operation resulted in 17 permits being suspended or their revocation underway – and even both – and over 30 new criminal investigations triggered. Investigators also gathered fresh intelligence that will keep the pressure on waste criminals for months to come.
Operation Unite forms a central part of the Environment Agency’s 10-Point Plan to tackle waste crime and marks a new, tougher approach to enforcement. This committed to putting permits at risk where involvement in waste crime was found, and its being delivered on the ground.
By acting earlier, targeting high-risk operators and responding to intelligence from local communities, the Environment Agency is stepping up the fight against waste criminals – with further targeted operations already being planned.
Philip Duffy, Environment Agency’s Chief Executive, said
Operation Unite sends a clear warning to waste criminals the days of operating under the radar are over.
This campaign has shown what is possible when we combine intelligence, coordination and determination – and it’s just the beginning.
With more targeted operations planned, the pressure on waste criminals will only intensify.
Environment Secretary, Dame Angela Eagle, said
Waste crime blights our communities, pollutes our environment and cheats the businesses that do the right thing.
Tackling the scourge of waste crime is one of my top priorities, and Operation Unite shows what robust, intelligence-led enforcement action can achieve, and sends a clear signal that those who break the rules will face the consequences.
Through our Waste Crime Action Plan, we are taking a zero-tolerance approach, backed by £45 million of funding for the Environment Agency to support enforcement operations like this. I want to be clear to waste criminals we are coming for you.
The results from Operation Unite across England demonstrate the breadth and impact of the campaign.
On the outskirts of Chichester, Environment Agency teams carried out a multi-agency compliance visit at Twyford Recycling Limited, which processes waste tyres no longer viable to be repaired.
Officers found multiple issues related to fire safety and a heightened risk of pollution. As a result, they immediately suspended their permit, meaning they had to stop bringing waste on to their site while also being forced to clear their site.
In early July, Environment Agency teams attended a major waste management facility in Hull operated by Transwaste Aggregates and Recycling Limited. The company holds an environmental permit to accept and process more than 750,000 tonnes of hazardous and non-hazardous waste each year. Inspectors identified a significant fire risk and other non-compliances with permit conditions, and required the company to address these issues immediately.
When a subsequent multi-agency operation found the company was still failing to meet its obligations, the Environment Agency served a suspension notice.
Faced with the full force of the Environment Agency’s regulatory action, Transwaste have taken action to address the fire risk on site and the suspension notice is being withdrawn. However, further works to ensure they are compliant with their permit are required. The Environment Agency is considering it’s enforcement response to ensure all remaining permit conditions are met, and our officers will continue to monitor the site closely.
In April, Environment Agency teams attended PB Donoghue Construction Ltd in Watford, where they identified multiple permit breaches alongside a repeated failure to comply with clear regulation.
Their permit was suspended while they took the necessary steps to come back into compliance.
