Innocent landowners in the North East of England have been cost an estimated £750,000 in the last year by criminals who have illegally dumped thousands of tonnes of baled waste on tuner land, according to the Environment Agency.
The £750,000 figure relates to the cost of removing waste dumped in fields and empty commercial properties lawfully, and it could be even higher if land is contaminated or insurance premiums rise as a result, the Agency explained, as well as being a major fire risk.
In a bid to stop waste criminals in their tracks, the Environment Agency is warning of the dangers posed by waste criminals and is offering advice on how landowners can better protect themselves.
Jamie Fletcher, Area Environment Manager, from the Environment Agency said: “Waste criminals operate throughout the country, offering to remove waste cheaply and then dumping it in fields or empty warehouses. They tend to move to new areas as enforcement agencies become wise to their activities. We know it’s only a matter of time before they target us again so we’re sending out a strong message: Waste criminals are not welcome here and we’re doing everything in our power to deter and catch them.
“We can’t do it alone. We work closely with partners to share intelligence on illegal waste activity. And we’re encouraging everyone to do their bit: for property and land owners to be vigilant and better protect themselves and for all businesses, organisations and individuals to manage their waste responsibly, preventing it from getting into criminal hands in the first place.
Advice For Businesses
Land and property owners are advised to:
- Check any empty land and property regularly and make sure it is secure.
- Carry out rigorous checks on prospective and new tenants. Land and property owners have a responsibility to ensure anyone leasing their land/property complies with regulations. They may be committing an offence by allowing waste to be stored on land or property without the relevant permissions and could leave them liable to prosecution
- Be vigilant and report any unusual behaviour.
There have been 11 separate incidents of criminals making large scale dumps of baled waste on farms, industrial units and on a roadside in the north east in the last 12 months.
The Environment Agency is also advising businesses and organisations of their responsibility to ensure their waste is managed appropriately. Anyone who produces, stores and manages waste is obligated to ensure waste does not cause harm to human health or pollution to the environment under waste under Duty of Care legislation.
Anyone who sees waste crime taking place is advised not to approach as these people can be dangerous. Report it by calling our incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
