Natural Resources Wales (NWR) officers have acted to stop any more waste being taken on to a waste site that caught fire.
Around 60 firefighters across 10 crews were called to tackle the blaze, which occurred the beginning of May (1 May). The fire involved plastic waste and residents were told to keep away from the site and to keep windows closed.
Working with the full support of Flintshire County Council and North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, NRW has de-registered the site of 300 Recycling at Factory Road, Sandycroft, in the interests of public safety after finding that the site “could no longer operate safely”.
“Our officers concluded that carrying on with operations would pose an unacceptable risk to people and the environment,” it said.
NRW – “Our priority must always be to protect people and the local environment and that’s what we have done in this instance.”
The action means that it is now also illegal to store and treat waste on site. NRW will now work with the company to make sure this happens and discuss the future of the site with the owners.
Anthony Randles, North East Wales team leader for Natural Resources Wales, said: “It has become apparent to us that it’s no longer possible for this site to operate safely without posing an unacceptable risk to people and the environment. As a result we have moved quickly to de-register the site.
“This means that they can no longer accept any more waste on to the site and must take immediate steps to reduce the risk it poses. We will be working closely with the site operators to help them do this.
“Our priority must always be to protect people and the local environment and that’s what we have done in this instance.”
NRW is now working with North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Flintshire County Council, and the North Wales Regional Emergency Planning Services to address different aspects of this site and its risks.
