The discovery came last month, with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) finding that Stirling council operatives were disposing of wheeled bins at the Lower Polmaise landfill site, which can only accept inert material.
” We were experimenting with the use of wheelie bins as part of an access road. Somehow around 100 bins ended up being buried in the landfill “
– Stirling council
A spokesperson for the Agency said: “During a routine inspection crushed wheeled bins were noted and when questioned, council staff stated that the bins were being used as sub-base for a new access road. A follow up inspection the following day noted a further area where wheeled bins had apparently been buried.”
According to the council the bins were being used experimentally as an access road at the site. A spokesman for the council said: “Of around 38,000 green bins which needed recycling about 2,000 ended up at the landfill site. The site, which houses a waste transfer station, contains many soggy areas and these needed to be covered.
“We were experimenting with the use of wheelie bins as part of an access road. Somehow around 100 bins ended up being buried in the landfill,” the spokesman added.
Contravention
The Lower Polmaise site is currently being restored and under its licence conditions can only accept inert material.
SEPA have now issued Stirling council with an enforcement notice, which requires it to take immediate steps to comply with its licence conditions. This includes removal of all wheeled bins illegally deposited at Polmaise.
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The council has stated that it is happy to comply with any all conditions from SEPA and an investigation is underway to discover how this was allowed to happen.
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