LONDON, April 2 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
ThreeSouth West-based waste companies have had to pay out large sums of money for environmental projects afterfailing tocomplywith their legal obligations.
The Environment AgencyinvestigatedWinfieldTransportLimited, Ranjit FarmingandGwellaContracting ServicesLtdovera failure tocomplywithwaste regulations.
Thecompanies have agreed to invest in local projects in a sanction knownasan enforcement undertaking.An enforcementundertakingcanbe used as an alternative to a prosecutionand allowsmoney togodirectly togood causes.
In this case, three environmental organisations willbenefitfromoffers which together amount to£28,500.
In agreeing to the sanctions, all three waste companies have put in place robust measures to ensure full compliance with regulations in the future.
Tim de Winton, Area Environment Manager, said:
Waste regulations are in place to protect people and the environment, and it is essential that all companies follow the rules.
Improperly handled waste undermines legitimate businesses, poses a threat to the environment and harms local communities.
Our enforcement action shows we are determined to ensure compliance with permits and waste legislation.And these sanctions enable meaningful investment in the environment.
Case one: Winfield Transport Limited
Winfield Transport Limited deposited waste at a site in Cornwall which was operating illegally
WinfieldTransport Limiteddeposited wasteata sitein Cornwallwhich wasoperatingillegally.
The landowner of the sitewas prosecuted last yearafter he ignored multiple warnings and formal notices.
Over 10,000 tonnes of household,demolitionand hazardous waste, including asbestos,wasfoundat the premises.
Winfield Transportwasa haulage companyandwasresponsible fordeposits ofwastesoilsandstonesbetween July 2022 and February 2023.
Bydepositing waste at the illegal site, the company avoidedan estimated £8,100in waste disposal costs.
Businessesthat handle wastehavea legal Waste Duty of Care. This means that businessesare responsible forknowing where theyare sending their waste and taking steps to ensure that their waste is handled by legal sites.
Winfield Transport agreed to pay £14,000 to The Woodland Trust and the Westcountry Rivers Trust.
As part of the agreement, the company reviewed itsproceduresand provided refresher training to staff.
Case two: Ranjit Farming
Ranjit Farming was investigated after receiving 2,700 tonnes of shillet at their farm
Ranjit Farming was investigatedafterreceiving2,700tonnes ofshillet(atype of rock)attheirfarm near NewtonAbbotbetweenNovember 2022 and February 2023.
While thefarm hadthenecessarypermissiontore-use theshillet,itfailed tocomply withtonnage limits withthesepermissions.
A permit isrequiredfor deposits of waste materials such asshilletto ensure the material is re-usedforanappropriatewayandin awaywhichdoesn'timpactthewider environment.
The company agreed to pay£6,000 to Devon Wildlife Trust.
Ranjit Farming hasput in place enhanced record keepingto keeptrack of how much material has been delivered and when.
Casethree:GwellaContracting Services Ltd
Asbestos is a carefully controlled waste material because of the risk to human health
GwellaContracting ServicesLtdstored asbestos waste at their Exeter and Bristol branchesin 2024without holding a permitfor these sites.
Asbestos is a carefully controlled waste material because of the risk to human health.
The Woodland Trust will receive £8,500 fromGwellaContracting.
The company agreed tocarry out a full audit of waste policy andoperations, andprovide environmental awareness training in company inductions.
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.
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Further details on the Enforcement Undertakings can be viewed here:Enforcement undertakings accepted by the Environment Agency: 26 July 2024 to 12 February 2026 - GOV.UK
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Last month, the government set out its newWaste Crime Action Plan. Under the plans, the government will ramp up efforts to punish offenders.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
