Cecil Wiggins and his firm Wiggins Transport Ltd were fined more than 70,000 for ignoring the conditions of his waste management licence at a site at Poyle, near Slough.
” Mr Wiggins deliberately chose to break the law, risking damage to the environment and undermining other legitimate waste businesses “
– James Adams, Environment Agency
The defendants ignored Environment Agency warnings and made huge profits from the massive illegal dump.
Permitted to store no more than 35,000 cubic metres of stone, concrete and brick waste at the site before the licence was revoked in August 2004, Agency officers said 110,000 cubic metres of waste were being stored there. A further 175,000 cubic metres of waste was being kept on land outside the licensed area, land which had no protection against environmental damage.
Waste was piled up to 14 metres high – over three times the allowed height – and the total volume of waste was enough to fill the Royal Albert Hall three times over.
On several occasions Wiggins Transport Ltd was also found to be illegally burning waste.
Guilty
Mr Wiggins pleaded guilty to three charges, while his company pleaded guilty to nine charges. They were fined 10,000 and 63,000 respectively. The Agency was also awarded over 9,000 in legal costs.
Agency investigating officer James Adams said: “Wiggins Transport and Mr Wiggins deliberately chose to break the law, risking damage to the environment and undermining other legitimate waste businesses in the area.
| Related links: |
“By ignoring the conditions of the waste management licence, and keeping waste without a licence, they both stood to make significant financial gains,” Mr Adams said.
The officer added that the Environment Agency hoped the fine would act as a deterrent to other companies that deliberately ignore the conditions of a waste management licence.
Register for free to comment