Fines issued over Shropshire waste offence

Thomas Edward Jones, 68, was ordered to pay the fine in place of Jarsan Ltd on Friday (May 2) for depositing between 21,000 and 31,000 tonnes of waste soil and rubble at its Knockin Heath Business Park site.

Some of the waste originated from the construction of a new superstore in Welshpool, where Jarsan Ltd, trading as Rob Jones Tractor Hire, was one of the appointed waste management firms employed to remove the surplus material.

The firm has registered a series of waste exemptions for the Knockin site with the Environment Agency in May 2010 permitting limited recovery and recycling of different waste streams but the same month officers were called to investigate the amount soil and rubble being deposited there.

They found that far more soil and rubble had been deposited at the site than permitted and a land survey carried out by a third party in June 2011 confirmed these quantities were in excess of the amount allowed.

Agency officers met with Mr Jones, who was also a director of Greyhound Plant Services Ltd, in January 2011 when they visited the site who informed them he would not be attending a formal interview.

Defence

In mitigation, the defence stated the defendants had not buried their heads in the sand and had hired a consultant to advise on their obligations under the regulations.

Furthermore, the defence added that neither Mr Jones nor Jarsan Ltd had intended to profit from the waste disposal, and had only taken waste to Knockin Heath after it could no longer be used in the construction of the Welshpool store.

Speaking after the case, an Environment Agency officer in charge of the investigation said: We use permit exemptions to enable the reuse and recycling of waste materials, but we ensure that measures are in place to protect the environment.

Waste crime is a serious offence with tough penalties as it can damage the environment, blight local communities and undermine those who operate legally. This case demonstrates that we will not hesitate to prosecute when circumstances warrant it.

When contacted by letsrecycle.com, Jarsan Ltd and Mr Jones could not be reached for comment.