30,000 tonnes of waste dumped in ancient Kent woodland as part of an organised crime operation is set to be removed.
The Environment Agency launched a criminal investigation last year after household and construction waste piled 15 feet high in places was discovered in Hoads Wood, Kent.
Investigators say gangs of organised criminals are behind dumped debris and aggregate in the woodland, which is a site of special scientific interest.
The Environment Agency has employed Acumen Waste Services to remove the waste from the two acres of the 200-acre woodland before being tested for any potential hazards and disposed of at authorised sites.
The Environment Agency also warned there could be unknown hazards buried beneath the 30,000 tonnes of waste.
Commenting on the operation, Matt Higginson, environment manager for the Environment Agency in Kent, said: “Criminals took advantage of the public who believed them to be legitimate operators taking their waste away legally.
“The Environment Agency plans to retrieve the costs of clearing Hoads Wood from those who spoiled the area. It should not be the taxpayer picking up the bill.
“The waste will be tested to determine potential hazards before it is taken away. I want the waste removed as quickly as possible, but it has to be done without further harm to the local environment as a whole or the staff involved.”
The Environment Agency secured a court order in January, banning unauthorised access to the woodland.
Alongside the criminal investigation, which includes other illegal waste sites in and around Kent, the Environment Agency said it monitored the site for any effect on air or water quality.
The regulator said it has frequently detected landfill and hydrogen sulphide gases on the site and outside the area covered by waste at times.
However, monitoring of the nearby River Beult hasn’t shown a significant and lasting effect on water quality.
