Environment Agency Publishes 117 Illegal Waste Sites, Including 28 Super Sites in England
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 22
Environment Agency Publishes 117 Illegal Waste Sites, Including 28 Super Sites in England
2 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 22
The Environment Agency released a public watchlist of 117 high-priority illegal waste sites in England, including 28 “super sites” holding more than 20,000 tonnes each.
The biggest site is a 281,000-tonne heap of contaminated soil in Northwich, Cheshire; the agency said the list is meant to show residents where enforcement action is focused.
About 700 illegal waste sites exist in total, but the EA said it is not generally funded to clear most of them and will do so only in exceptional cases set by government criteria.
Sites at Hoads Wood in Kent and Kidlington in Oxfordshire are already being cleared, while large dumps in Wigan and Sheffield could also be cleaned up at taxpayers’ expense under the waste crime action plan.
The agency plans monthly updates but will publish only limited location detail to avoid harming investigations, as local businesses and residents press for tougher action against repeat offenders.
The UK is now naming its worst illegal dumps. Is this transparency a real deterrent or a watchlist for worried residents?
Can hi-tech drones and digital tracking truly outsmart the organized crime rings profiting from massive illegal dumps?