Emmersons Transport LTD in Portsmouth has been ordered to stop crushing waste because of dangerous dust pollution.
A site visit by Environment Agency officers found Emmerson Transport Ltd in Portsmouth, Hampshire, was putting neighbouring businesses and a local wildlife site at risk.
The Environment Agency served a notice to suspend the environmental permit for the waste site in Portsmouth, which took effect on Monday 20 July.
Circular Online has approached Emmersons Transport LTD for comment.
Emmersons Transport LTD must not carry out any physical treatment work, including the crushing and screening of waste, until it removes the risk of pollution set out in the suspension order.
The Environment Agency visited the site in July as part of Operation Unite – an 18-week nationwide enforcement operation targeting permitted waste sites suspected of criminal activity.
During the inspection, officers identified that Emmersons Transport LTD was not taking suitable measures to control and prevent dust pollution.
The operation of the site presented a risk of pollution from dust, including inhalable particulates which could be harmful to human health, the Environment Agency said.
The site is situated on a busy industrial estate, which is surrounded by other businesses, and located next to Hilsea Lines local wildlife site, and near the Solent and Dorset Coast Special Protection Area.
Emmersons Transport LTD is a waste recycling facility, which also supplies aggregates, such as crushed rock, gravel and sand.
The inspection found that the company was storing waste in piles up to five metres high, which is significantly more than the three metres permitted.
Dust had been allowed to build up across surfaces around the site, and vehicles were not being cleaned with a pressure washer before leaving the area, the Environment Agency said.
Officers also observed that staff had failed to properly dampen materials to reduce dust, and there were gaps in the micro netting surrounding the site’s perimeter.
Area Environment Manager Michael Turner of the Environment Agency said Emmersons Transport LTD have failed to limit harmful dust emissions and placed neighbouring businesses and important local habitats at risk.
“We suspended waste processing activities at this site and will not allow them to resume until the necessary improvements have been made,” Turner commented.
Emmersons Transport LTD has been ordered to carry out corrective actions by 31 July 2026. This includes reducing the height of waste piles, repairing and replacing the micro netting around the site, and putting in place effective mist sprays to dampen dust.
The company has also been told to move a crusher so it discharges dust into the main building on the site.