Waste bosses prosecuted by the Environment Agency

A gang of four waste bosses has been prosecuted by the Environment Agency for illegally storing tonnes of dangerous chemical waste.

Following a nationwide investigation by the Agency, code named Operation Pandora, and a public appeal, three men and one woman were arrested and charged with a total of 22 offences.

The investigation was prompted by the discovery of hazardous chemical waste that had been illegally dumped in laybys across Lancashire, Shropshire and Yorkshire.

The three company bosses and haulage contractor were sentenced on April 10 at Preston Crown Court. The court heard how the Agencys investigation led to raids across Lancashire and the discovery of six illegal waste sites being operated by the defendants in the area.

During the sentencing Her Honour Judge Badley said that all four defendants were “Persistent in the pursuit of profit, increasingly bold and acted outside the regulations clearly for financial motives.”

Sentence

Christian Garry Briely, 43, from Higher Dunscar, Bolton, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for eight waste offences, while his wife, Deborah Lynne Briely, 47, was sentenced to nine months imprisonment suspended for 12 months with 120 hours unpaid work for three waste offences. Christopher Hill, 50, from Honeysuckle Drive, Hartlepool was sentenced to eight months imprisonment suspended for 12 months with 120 hours unpaid work for four waste offences. Roger Martin Bamber, 50, from Croston Road, Croston, Lancashire was sentenced to 120 hours unpaid work for eight waste offences.

The companies involved were: the Brielys company – TWMS based in Wirral Merseyside; Mr Bambers company – R+S Bamber Haulage, based in Twin Lakes in Lancashire: and Orion UK Ltd of Roman Way Industrial Estate, Preston.

Mat Crocker, Environment Agency head of illegals and waste, said: This sentence sends out the message that waste crime is a serious offence. Offenders can and will be sent to jail. Waste crime puts the environment and human health at risk and undermines legitimate businesses. In this instance, the waste originated from businesses that paid a commercial rate for the disposal and as such, believed it was being disposed of responsibly. Businesses producing toxic and hazardous waste need to take extra care to ensure their waste is not being dumped illegally.

Investigation

Full breathing apparatus and protective suits had to be worn by staff from the Environment Agency and Fire and Rescue Service to safely recover, inspect and store the chemical drums.

The Agency said that the serious environmental risk posed by the waste was evident in an incident at industrial units in Skelmersdale, Lancashire where drums leaking hazardous liquid polluted the River Tawd.

At one site almost 100 chemical drums had been discarded which were filled with substances included acids, pharmaceutical vials and crushed tablets. One container marked very water reactive explosive on contact with water was discovered stored under a leaking roof. Agency staff also located eleven 1100 litre intermediate bulk containers marked carcinogenic contents within 125 metres of the River Ribble Estuary.

The waste had come from a variety of waste reprocessors including a wheel stripping company and large scale photo processing companies and included items such as oil sludge, waste inks, pharmaceutical vials and acids. The waste was collected from as far afield as Bradford, Milton Keynes, Huddersfield and Preston.

Examination

Louis Hunt, senior investigations manager from the Environment Agencys National Environmental Crime Team, said: This nationwide investigation has been complex and involved working with the public and authorities across the UK to bring those responsible to justice.

We were able to use forensic techniques to identify the abandoned waste and trace those who had managed waste that had been illegally dumped. If we had not acted quickly then this gang would have continued to dispose of this toxic and hazardous waste across England in a highly dangerous manner, posing a significant risk to the public and the environment.