Topic: Ilegal desposal of industrial waste

[JENIAN]

One of our allotmenteers has a family firm in double glazing etc (Father & Son) and for years as been using there allotments for burying glass and mainly burning of old plastic gutter and fall pipe, wood fascia, doors and door frames etc.  I do not seem to get any support from our committee.  The father is on the commitee of three (only 23 plots).  I feel like i am an 'island' in all this.  This is wrong!!!!!!!! :(

[RenishawPhil]

Council. Enviroment agency?

[digmore]

Council site ?       Council officer.

Private site ?        Environmental Agency.

[Esplanade]

in either case.. if you can get photographic evidence, then the newspapers (local of course)

[JENIAN]

Council site ?       Council officer.

Private site ?        Environmental Agency.
[/quo

Private site.  It's EA for me then.  Got pix and vids so tally ho.  Cheers folks.

[Digeroo]

I would have thought you should have a word with the owner of the land first.

[Gordonmull]

I would have thought you should have a word with the owner of the land first.

Probably...but the b******* will probably just find somewhere else they can get shut of the waste without paying if the landowner kicks them off.  Sock it to 'em I'd say.

[Hazelb]

I would say call your local  environmental health officer and have a chat about what can be done about it for a couple of important reasons:

Burning PVC and other plastics can release toxic gasses into the atmosphere and could also leave toxic ashes that will contaminate the soil.

Burying glass...is probably illegal tipping and again they are contaminating the land again.

Also can you imagine any poor plot holder that takes over their plot...when they leave it...His vegitables would be toxic, if he could grow any!

I think the council will take a dim view of this and  they are probably breaking no end of laws.

You could tell them this at a meeting...if you want to .....or wait for the environmental health officer to.

[Gordonmull]

The environmental health will be no use here. They don't deal with waste offences, that's the EA's department. Any smell might fall under their responsibility but waste is definitely the EA. Trust me, last 6 years as a technical advisor in the hazardous waste industry.

(Probably) Carrying waste without a waste carriers licence
operating a disposal (landfill) operation without a licence
operating a disposal (incineration) operation without a licence
(probably) storing waste without a licence.

If I remember correctly the EA get especially shirty about burning waste. The rest they'll probably warn them for. Well, they might also make them pay to have the land they buried the waste on excavated, I've seen that happen a few times.

Hazel, I don't mean any offense, but glass isn't going to do anything to the soil, except maybe, in quantity, to harm the structure. It's fused silica and completely inert. I also don't think anything's going to be toxic in the sense that it will be fatally harmful to health. Wood and plastic will burn off leaving carbon and a small amount of metals.

I hear your passion though  ;D and like you say I'd not be happy to be near THAT particular bonfire.

[Hazelb]

Hi there gordenmull,

no I don't take offence.

I meant the glass will contaminate the plot in the loosest sense of the word: ' fill the soil with broken glass making it pretty tricky for another plot holder to dig/ weed/ plant anything without getting cut from broken glass'

I hope that clarifies it.

As for burning plastic, especially PVC, there is a high risk that dioxins will be released which are hazardous to health and the environment.

For general restrictions on bonfires, you might find this link useful:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/InYourHome/Escapingandrecoveringfromafire/DG_180786

I still think your local council should be your first port of call.

[djbrenton]

Some years ago we had a plotholder who burned cable for the copper. I checked at the time, and burning hazardous waste ( which PVC is considered) carried a fine of up to £5000.

[Gordonmull]

PVC isn't haz, or I'd be seriously worried about what I'm wearing tonight ;)

I think they've got a bit more teeth these though days, dj. They can chuck some fairly significant fines around. Enough to make the merchant waste companies mostly clean up their act anyway. Even if it was still £5000 then there's potentially 4 offenses there - make that £20000. I've seen companies being fined up to £200000 for various offences. That's the highest so far since I've been counting.

A company I worked for in had a site in Cannock that had a fire. It wasn't their fault, someone had sent in some waste that was flammable in contact with water described as something else. The waste got inspected in the rain. Massive fire. They got £150000 as a fine on three seperate offenses. And, no I didn't work on that site :)

I get your point now hazel. I don't think I'd like to get stabbed in the finger by glass when weeding etc. And, yup, agreed, dioxins are very nasty substances. Thankfully it's not something I've ever had to handle.

For waste, it's the EA. They are the regulatory body. Council will either point you to them or if they are feeling exceptionally nice, report it on your behalf. Still I suppose there's nothing wrong with reporting a statutory nuiscence to the council at the same time though!

[elvis2003]

what about neighbours with a hog roast business who have filled our shared wheelie bins with pig carcasses ( not even bagged) pig fat (also not in a container ) and spilt pig fat inches deep and at least a metre wide in the shared garden...thank god they are moving out soon!

[Gordonmull]

Elvis, that's not on.

Personally, I'd have shopped them. In fact, I'd still do it now. The EA would follow it up. I'm honestly surprised the bin-men didn't cotton on and refuse to lift the bins. Use of domestic bins for disposal of controlled waste is really no different to fly-tipping.

[gp.girl]

Elvis, that's not on.

Personally, I'd have shopped them. In fact, I'd still do it now. The EA would follow it up. I'm honestly surprised the bin-men didn't cotton on and refuse to lift the bins. Use of domestic bins for disposal of controlled waste is really no different to fly-tipping.

I'm not surprised I know of one household who had business waste collected in huge amounts. The bin men were pretty obviously taking bribes. It only stopped when they all got reported, so go for it.

Burning plastic including PVC releases dioxins so the ground is now contaminated and will be for a very long while  :'(  :'( :'(

[JENIAN]

UPDATE:-  I have written a comprehensive complaint letter to the Secretary of our allotments about his actions.  The sh*t will hit the fan this coming week but I have plenty of support from other allotmenteers  ;)
Ian

[Gordonmull]

I'm not surprised I know of one household who had business waste collected in huge amounts. The bin men were pretty obviously taking bribes. It only stopped when they all got reported, so go for it.

Grrrr...

UPDATE:-  I have written a comprehensive complaint letter to the Secretary of our allotments about his actions.  The sh*t will hit the fan this coming week but I have plenty of support from other allotmenteers  Wink

Good man  8)

If you need any help on the legal side of waste disposal to push it through feel free to ask. I've been technical in the merchant hazardous waste industry for 6 years, so I do know my stuff when it comes to waste. I've also got the two years I spent in haz landfill to atone for  :-[ so I'm happy to help.

The thing that really winds me up about these types is that get the competative edge on businesses that dispose legally and pay for it.