Arrests Made in Relation to Supersized Unauthorized Waste Site
Two individuals have been taken into custody as an element of an inquiry into the dumping of thousands of tonnes of waste in a field in Oxfordshire.
Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough in connection with the huge mound of waste deposited near Kidlington.
These arrests occur a week after a recent investigation which uncovered the existence of over 500 unauthorized sites in England, featuring at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.
A official for the environmental agency said that the apprehensions were for ecological and financial offences and were a "vital step" in continuing probes. Both men have been set free on pre-trial release.
Size of the Problem
The dump in Kidlington, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is believed to house approximately 21,000 tons of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.
This heap of rubbish is composed of what looks to be sorted domestic refuse, fragmented plastics, expanded polystyrene, tyres and various everyday items.
It is just a single of 517 unauthorized sites across England, at minimum 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 tonnes of garbage. They encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.
The actual number of such major dumps is likely to be greater, as the environmental agency has in the past stated it does not possess data on tonnage for every unauthorized tip.
A large proportion of these sites are in agricultural areas, frequently out of sight, and on land that is zoned as farm property.
Organised Activity
Law enforcement say numerous are managed by organized crime groups, who are generating money by charging significantly less than legitimate companies to take and dispose of garbage.
Companies have to pay site fees to use licensed waste facilities, contingent on the quantity and nature of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.
Public Outrage
Preparatory work to clear the Kidlington area site began recently due to worries over the risk of combustion and the consequences that would have on the nearby A-road.
A private clean-up firm has been awarded the task to remediate the site over the following 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.
An compliance manager for the government regulatory team said that the authority would be looking to recoup the remediation costs under proceeds of crime laws from any individual ultimately prosecuted at the termination of its current investigation.
She added that the recent apprehensions would help "drive the probe forward" and enable the agency to "investigate more lines of inquiry to ascertain precisely what occurred and who was a party to it".
"This unauthorized tip at Kidlington was an shocking and intentional affront on our natural surroundings and officials understand the public's outrage at this terrible crime," she remarked.
A senior minister supported the arrests, stating: "The illegal tipping of waste at Kidlington is disgraceful and has resulted in significant damage to the ecology and upset to the nearby residents.
"The government is pledged to stamping out this type of illegal activity across the UK, by increasing resources to combat environmental crime, recruiting more staff and implementing more severe measures and sanctions for those who break the rules."
The detentions were made on a recent Thursday by officers from a dedicated organised crime squad and come after an earlier detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in November. He was released subject to further enquiries.