Arrests Executed in Relation to Supersized Unlawful Rubbish Dump
Two individuals have been taken into custody as part of an investigation into the tipping of several thousand of tons of waste in a open field in Oxfordshire.
Officials stated that a 69-year-old was detained at a property in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in the town of Slough in connection with the enormous heap of waste dumped near the area of Kidlington.
These arrests come after a prior revelation which exposed the operation of in excess of 500 unlawful sites throughout England, including at least 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.
A spokeswoman for the regulatory authorities commented that the arrests were for ecological and financial offences and represented a "key step" in continuing investigations. The two individuals have been set free on conditional release.
Magnitude of the Issue
The illegal site in near Kidlington, situated between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is believed to house approximately 21,000 metric tons of refuse in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.
This mound of rubbish is composed of what looks to be treated residential waste, chopped up plastics, Styrofoam, tyres and other domestic articles.
It constitutes just a single of 517 unauthorized dumps across England, at a minimum of 11 of which contain over 20,000 tonnes of waste. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.
The total number of such major dumps is expected to be greater, as the environmental authority has previously indicated it does not hold records on tonnage for each unlawful tip.
The majority sites are in agricultural settings, frequently concealed, and on land that is zoned as arable property.
Criminal Operations
Law enforcement report numerous are operated by organised crime gangs, who are generating money by asking for significantly less than legitimate firms to receive and landfill rubbish.
Firms have to incur disposal fees to use lawful landfill sites, depending on the amount and nature of waste they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.
Local Frustration
Preparatory operations to clear the Kidlington area site started in recent weeks due to fears over the risk of combustion and the effect that would have on the nearby major road.
A private clean-up contractor has been given the job to handle the location over the coming 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.
An enforcement official for the national environmental crime team stated that the body would be seeking to recoup the remediation costs under proceeds of crime acts from anyone found guilty at the end of its active inquiry.
She noted that these arrests would help "drive the investigation forward" and permit officials to "investigate more lines of inquiry to ascertain precisely what occurred and who was involved".
"The unauthorized dump at Kidlington was an shocking and deliberate assault on our environment and the authorities understand the public's outrage at this horrific act," she said.
A government minister welcomed the actions, commenting: "This illegal tipping of garbage at the site is appalling and has caused considerable harm to the environment and distress to the surrounding population.
"Our authorities is dedicated to eliminating this category of criminality in the UK, by increasing resources to address illegal dumping, hiring more staff and enacting stricter checks and fines for those who flout the regulations."
The arrests were carried out on a recent Thursday by agents from a dedicated crime unit and are in addition to an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in the autumn. He was released awaiting additional enquiries.
