East London scrap yard owner fined 17,000

Waheed Rahman, who runs a yard on Carpenters Road in Stratford, pleaded guilty at Stratford Magistrate's Court yesterday to not having the correct waste management licence and failing to comply to a notice to remove waste vehicles.

The court heard that between 2004 and 2006 “significant” numbers of vehicles and vehicle parts were found at Mr Rahman's premises. None of the ground around the vehicles was covered by an impermeable surface, which was leading to oil contaminating the ground.

Car batteries had also been left on the ground and some scrap cars had not been treated for pollutants in line with the End of Life Vehicle Regulations 2003.

False
The jury ruled out negligence after hearing that Mr Rahman gave the false name of Salim Khan and refused to give his address to officers. He also ignored numerous orders from the Environment Agency to remove the offending vehicles, claiming that he could not use the access road as it was owned by an uncooperative company.

Even when the Environment Agency gained the company's permission in December 2005, the cars remained on the Stratford site, causing the Environment Agency to pursue legal action.

Investigating officer Andy Strevens said: “We gave Mr Rahman every opportunity to deal with this situation himself, but he consistently failed to do so. He misled us as to his true identity and made no attempt to clear this waste properly, despite the work we undertook on his behalf as a mediator between himself and the owner of the road behind his site.”

In his summing up, the chairman of the magistrates said: “It was a deliberate and reckless act rather than negligence.”

Action
Mr Rahman was fined 13,000 for keeping controlled waste without the correct waste management licence and 4,000 for failing to remove the offending vehicles, under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. He was also ordered to pay costs of 1,905.

Mr Strevens added: “We're delighted the court has seen fit to take such strong action today, as it sends out a stark and simple message to those who refuse to adhere to the law properly – if you break the law, we will prosecute you.”