Tajinder Singh Dhaliwal, and his Hounslow business New Bharat Skips Ltd, were found guilty of a total of 10 charges yesterday of depositing waste without a waste management licence under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act.
The Environment Agency, which brought the prosecution, said that they received their first tip offs about waste being dumped illegally at the site in October 2004.
Investigating officer Chris Lowe found a New Bharat Skips lorry dumping controlled waste on the site, which was already covered in rubble, waste soils, wood, plastics, old furniture, white goods, lead acid batteries and chemical drums covering about 1,000 square metres.
Judge Katkhuda said that the operation was carried out on the pretence of improving the land, but was in fact a deliberate breach of the law.
He said Mr Dhaliwal ignored warnings from the Environment Agency and ran his business in a way that allowed him to undercut rival and legitimate businesses and concluded by describing Mr Dhaliwal was a “thoroughly dishonest man.” He added that the business was a “sham operation.”
After the hearing, Chris Lowe said: “Despite continued warnings and guidance on the right way to conduct their business New Bharat Skips Ltd persisted in dumping waste.
“When we returned to the site on 3 December 2004 there were even more piles of rubbish, including bricks, stone and metal, which should have been treated correctly in order to protect the environment and public health,” he added.
Action
The Environment Agency welcomed the action taken by the court to ensure waste operations are strictly controlled and stressed that if businesses are storing, transporting or disposing of waste, they must hold a waste management licence and rigidly adhere to the terms of it.
This ensures that waste is managed responsibly without risk to the environment and that their premises do not impact negatively on the local community.
Mr Lowe said: “We are pleased that the court took strong action today. It sends a clear message to other companies that if you fail in your responsibilities to the environment, we will prosecute you.”
The Environment Agency has launched a six-week campaign to tackle illegal dumping in the North East where more than 126,000 incidents of fly-tipping have been reported by councils between January 2006 and June 2007. With two greyhounds called “Dump it” and “Leg it” (pictured right), the BREW-funded initiative will seek to persuade householders and businesses in Northumberland and the Tees Valley to use registered waste carriers rather than illegal firms.
The Environment Agency has launched a six-week campaign to tackle illegal dumping in the North East where more than 126,000 incidents of fly-tipping have been reported by councils between January 2006 and June 2007. With two greyhounds called “Dump it” and “Leg it” (pictured right), the BREW-funded initiative will seek to persuade householders and businesses in Northumberland and the Tees Valley to use registered waste carriers rather than illegal firms.
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