LONDON, June 22 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
Failing to geta permitforveterinarywastehas seen a pet cremation firmpay forenvironmental improvements.
Thanks to Environment Agency intervention,Valley Pet Crematoriumin Paignton has agreed to pay£60,000 to Westcountry Rivers Trustas part of its mission toimprove the passage of salmon and other fish in theTeigncatchment.
Jonathan Macqueen of the Environment Agency said:
While no environmentalharmresulted fromthis mistake, the rules are there to protecttheenvironmentand ensure a level playing field across the waste industry.
Carrying,storingand dealing withdifferent typesof wasterequires a permit andwe firmly regulate industry to make sure everyone is compliant with the law.
Valley Pet Crematoriumfailed toget anewpermitto runa clinicalwastetransfer stationwhen itmoved from Exeter to a new site inAspen Way,Paignton, in January 2023.
While thefirmhad a validwaste carrier licence,a separate permit was neededtostorehealthcare wasteitcollected from veterinarypracticesand brought back tothePaignton facility. The mistakecame to light18 months later during an Environment Agencycompliance investigation.
Once the issue became known,Valley Pet Crematoriumwas told toimmediatelystopstoringand remove anyveterinarywaste. The firm also had to apply for a new permit.
Valley Pet Crematoriumcontinued to collectwaste buttook itdirectlytoapproved sites for disposal. A newpermitwas issued inNovember 2024which allowedstorage at the Paignton premises.
Valley Pet CrematoriumtoldtheEnvironment Agency 'it is a matter of intense regret that the company did not obtain the permit in the timely manner it should have done'.Thefirm hasofferedan enforcement undertaking - a sanction that avoids prosecution in return for funding environmentalprojects.It also invested heavily into a waste management tracking system.
A spokesperson forWestcountry Rivers Trust said:
This funding will deliver direct and lasting benefits for the River Teign and the fish species that depend on it.
Although no pollution or fish fatalities resulted from this case, the Enforcement Undertaking process allows money to be put back into direct environmental improvements. We will use the £60,000 contribution to remove or ease significant barriers to fish migration, helping Atlantic salmon, trout and European eel reach spawning and nursery habitats.
We expect this work to reconnect at least 10km of river habitat across the Teign catchment. That means a better chance for migratory fish to complete their life cycles and a healthier, more resilient river system.
This project also complements wider nature recovery work across the catchment, including habitat restoration, barrier removal and action to restore more natural river processes.
Background
What is an enforcement undertaking (EU)?
An EU is available to the Environment Agency as an alternative sanction to prosecution or monetary penalty for dealing with certain environmental offences.
It is a legally-binding voluntary agreement proposed by a business (or an individual) when the EA has reasonable grounds to suspect that an environmental offence has occurred.
EUs for environmental offences were introduced under the Environmental Civil Sanctions (England) Order 2010 and the Environmental Civil Sanctions (Miscellaneous Amendments) (England) Regulations 2010.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
