An eight-wheeled tipper lorry was seized for suspected offences in the Dartford area of Kent after the police caught it being used for flytipping in Catford, London.
In a statement, the Agency said the action was a direct result of working closely with the Metropolitan Police to investigate vehicles that are believed to have been used for the illegal dumping of waste.
Paul Bennett of the Environment Agency's environment protection team, said: “Businesses which believe they can simply disregard the environment for financial gain are mistaken. The Environment Agency can and will use its legal powers to ensure waste operators work within the law.”
Further enquiries into the seized lorry's activities by the Agency's Kent environment protection team could lead to legal action being taken. The team has brought several formal enquiries through its work checking practices at north Kent waste sites that are exempt from waste management licensing requirements.
Mr Bennett warned businesses that they had already uncovered several instances that could lead to prosecution for companies who had tried to get their waste removed on the cheap. “Companies that produce waste have a legal duty of care to ensure that their waste carrier is properly licensed,” he said. “Assuming that the waste has gone to landfill is no defence if it is later found to have been fly-tipped.”
Subscribe for free