EA crackdown leads to closures of illegal car scrapyards

The Agency claims that by closing almost half of these operations, legitimate companies may benefit by up to £30 million in return of stolen business. Although, it stated that it believes around £17 million worth of illegal waste business is still in the hands of rogue traders.

In addition to stealing business from legitimate companies, the Agency warned that vehicles and their associated liquids treated by the illegal operators end up in illegal sites. And, it claimed that around half of the illegal scrapyard sites are located within 50 metres of environmentally sensitive areas.

Phil Gibbon, ELVs project manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Illegal car scrapyards are a huge problem for the environment. We're tackling it through a combination of penalties, partnerships and awareness-raising among legal businesses.”

The Agency worked with local authorities, the car recycling industry and trade associations under its Waste Crime Innovation Programme to carry out the crackdown and said that it intends to continue to target these sites and encourage legal businesses to report rogue traders.

Mr Gibbon added: “We'd much rather encourage businesses to act responsibly – which we're doing by providing them with support and advice. But where we need to get tough, we will prosecute operators who don't hold permits or comply with permit conditions.”

“The courts can impose prison sentences, fines, anti-social behaviour orders, community service, curfews and seize assets gained through the proceed of crime,” he said.

Roadshows

The Environment Agency has recently completed a national road show of events for businesses in the ELV sector, and has this month (September) written to 1,500 site operators with an information pack and DVD showing how to de-pollute vehicles.

A spokesperson for Manchester-based S. Norton & Co, which is an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF), said: “We've noticed a big difference in our business since several local illegal operators were closed down. It's good news for us but also for the environment. The impact on both land and the water when vehicles are dumped has now been reduced.”

The crackdown on illegal scrapyards comes two months after the Environment Agency reported that it was “getting tougher” with waste offences after having issued over £3 million worth of fines in 2008 (see letsrecycle.com story).