Construction and demolition waste sites accounted for a third of all illegal waste sites shut down by the Environment Agency last year, the latest figures reveal.
The EA’s annual Waste Crime Report found that during 2012-2013 illegal activity was halted on a total of 1,279 illegal waste sites, up from 716 in 2011-2012 and more than any previous year. Of these, 393 (31%) dealt primarily with construction and demolition waste.
In addition, illegal construction and demolition waste sites accounted for 28% (228) of 820 illegal sites that remained active at the end of March this year.
“Waste crime damages the environment, causes misery to people living close by and takes money away from legitimate waste management businesses,” said Mat Crocker, head of illegals and waste at the EA. “Construction firms are often paying illegal businesses good money to deal with their waste inappropriately without even realising it. Criminals running these waste sites don’t care what the impact of this is, and by failing to observe their duty of care otherwise reputable construction firms are being dragged into to criminal activity.”
The EA estimates that waste crime diverts as much as £1bn a year from legitimate business and tax revenues and is often linked with money laundering and fraud.
Construction firms should take precautions to avoid being implicated in waste crimes, said Crocker. “They need to be asking the right questions such as: who’s taking the waste away, where is it going to go and how will it be treated? If the price of a disposal service being offered seems too good to be true, look into it further.
“For example, dealing with hazardous waste or contaminated soils tends to cost more at a reputable waste firm. And if you’re still suspicious of the firm you’re dealing with, you can report them anonymously to the Crimestoppers help line.”
Illegal waste sites that store, treat or dispose of waste are spread across the entire country and concentrated around areas of denser population, such as towns and cities, and along motorways.
Of the 1,279 sites the EA stopped in 2012-2013, 1,100 sites were closed down, and 58 were helped to move into legal compliance and obtain the right permit. A further 121 sites were granted an exemption to operate.
Meanwhile, the report found that almost a quarter of all illegal dumping incidents during the year to March involved waste from construction, demolition and excavation activities, slightly down from last year.
For construction companies, failure to observe their duty of care could result in prosecution or fines. During 2012 to 2013 in England, the EA made 171 successful prosecutions for waste crime and issued a total £827,940 in fines.
The Agency said its increased number of illegal waste site shut downs for the year to March was made possible thanks to a short-term investment in an illegal waste site taskforce, increased use of intelligence and improved partnerships.
