EA clamps down on illegal waste carriers in SE

Waste vehicles in Essex, South London and Hertfordshire were checked in the latest day of Environment Agency (EA) action designed to cut down on illegal waste traders yesterday (13 January).

Officers from the EA were joined by those from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, local authorities and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) in Thurrock, North Greenwich and Bushey yesterday as part of ‘Operation Salamander’.

All waste carriers have a duty of care to ensure they deal with and dispose of waste correctly and must be registered with the EA. Over the course of the day, 71 vehicles were pulled over, more than a third of which, 26, were found to be committing duty of care offences. Pending further investigation, these vehicles could be subjected to enforcement action.

Companies must also register with the EA if they buy, sell or dispose of waste or arrange for someone else to do so. They must also classify their waste and know if it is hazardous or non-hazardous so that they can deal with it correctly, and store and move it safely and securely.

EA officers carried out a similar day of action in October, carrying out checks in Lincolnshire on vehicles as part of a joint operation with Immigration Enforcement. That day, six of the 13 vehicles carrying waste were advised that they needed to carry correct registration from the EA and transfer notes from the waste producer.

Protecting people and communities

Lesley Robertson, Enforcement Team Leader from the EA said: “We want to protect people and communities from the impact that illegally transported and disposed of waste can have, thereby creating a level playing field for legitimate operators.

“To help us, we encourage people to check with the Environment Agency first to make sure the company or person they use to take their waste away is registered.

“Operation Salamander sends a message to waste carriers that they must fulfil their duty of care and make sure they handle and dispose of their waste properly or they may get caught.”

‘Fighting Waste Crime’

Last week the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) launched its year-long ‘Fighting Waste Crime’ campaign, by announcing that it would be contributing almost £50,000 to an initiative raising business awareness of the duty of care.

The first phase of the ‘Right Waste, Right Place’ campaign, led by the Environmental Services Association (ESA), will run until May this year, communicating duty of care requirements to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The CIWM funding, which has been matched by the ESA Education Trust (ESAET), will support the second phase of the campaign, which will tailor the message to specific SME sectors.

Last year, Environment Secretary Liz Truss pledged to ‘crack down on waste cowboys’ through on-the-spot fines, ‘enabling law-abiding businesses to thrive’. Shortly afterwards, the government announced that fixed-penalty notices for fly-tippers would be introduced in England ‘at the earliest opportunity’ after a consultation into waste crime enforcement in England and Wales. Defra also stated that legislation will be amended to extend the powers of regulating bodies.

More about how the EA tackles waste crime can be found in Resource’s feature article.