Crackdown on illegal waste burning (From Daily Echo)
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Environment Agency probe illegal burning
11:22am Wednesday 26th September 2012 in News
Crackdown on illegal waste burning
The Environment Agency is urging witnesses to come forward with any information about large amounts of waste being illegally dumped and burned at the site of a disused plant nursery in Hampshire.
The site at Bordean Nursery at Langrish, near Petersfield is already under investigation by the Environment Agency’s specialist Environmental Crime Team.
New illegally dumped material was last burned at the site over September 7 and 8.
The smoke produced by the fires was reported as being extremely unpleasant and caused a nuisance to nearby residents.
Ian Walton, Senior Environmental Crime Officer, said: “This location has been a problem to us for some time and it’s vital that we identify the criminals illegally dumping and burning the waste.
“The individuals committing these acts are only interested in making money by any means. They have absolutely no regard that the burning of waste is causing pollution to the environment and results in misery to residents that live nearby.”
Anyone who has any information can contact the Environment Agency’s Incident Hotline on 0800 807060 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. All calls will be treated in confidence.
Illegal waste sites are a growing problem nationally and the Environment Agency recently set up a nationwide task force of investigators specifically to tackle this criminal activity. These waste sites are unlicensed, operate without any safeguards to the environment and undermine legitimate waste management companies who are undercut by illegal operators.
