Several hundred disguised bales of waste were found inside steading buildings and an agricultural shed at a disused farm in Turnhouse, which are believed to have been dumped between July 14 and July 25 this year.
SEPA has stated that the waste was brought to the farm and deposited without the knowledge of the property owner, and was reported by an anonymous member of the public.
Local reports suggest the bags contain a range of waste materials and the contents of some bales are spilling out of the wrappings.
The Agency believes that the appearance of the waste – which was disguised to look exactly like agricultural silage bales when intact – could indicate why the waste went unnoticed for so long.
Witnesses
Commenting on the discovery, Calum MacDonald, executive director of SEPA, appealed for any witnesses to come forward to assist in its inquiry.
Mr MacDonald said: “SEPA is currently undertaking an investigation into suspected breaches of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 involving the disposal of waste materials hidden within and disguised as silage bales at a disused farm at Turnhouse in Edinburgh.
“This is a very significant number of bales that are full of waste that have been brought to the farm illicitly and deposited without the knowledge of the owner of the property. When intact the bales have the exact same appearance as an agricultural silage bale and this may be why this wasn’t noticed when the waste was deposited at the site.”
He added: “We would like to appeal for any witnesses who can potentially assist in this inquiry and would encourage them to call our Pollution Hotline on 0800 80 70 60. We would also advise landowners to check and review security on their own respective properties.”
Organised crime
In November 2013, SEPA set up an experimental Waste Crime Team unit to look into serious organised waste crime, which has been highlighted as a growing problem in Scotland.
And, in August, the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee heard how organised crime groups involved in waste activities had attracted the attention of Interpol. At the hearing, SEPA called for more targeting and mapping to tackle the threat (see letsrecycle.com story).
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