18/01/2005 - A Somerset
organic recycling company has been ordered
to pay £5,200 in fines and costs after
breaching its licence and producing an offensive
smell.
Hinton Organics (Wessex) Limited, based at
Hinton Charterhouse near Bath, makes compost
out of organic waste for the horticulture
and agricultural industries.
A routine inspection of the recycling site
at Queen Charlton by Environment Agency officers
on February 6, 2004 revealed two breaches
of the licence. Waste was being kept on the
ground and not on a concrete area which was
specially designed to stop polluting liquid
leaking into the earth and water courses.
The site was inspected again on March 1 but
no significant progress had been made in moving
the waste. This prompted the Environment Agency
to issue a compliance notice two days later
which gave Hinton Organics 14 days to stop
breaching their licence conditions.
On March 16 an Environment Agency officer
returned to the site and saw a considerable
volume of waste still needed to be removed.
Two days later, following the expiry of the
14 notice period, the site was inspected yet
again and it was found that the licence conditions
were still being breached. The following day
the Environment Agency served a notice on
the company which suspended the receipt of
waste at the site until the company complied
with its licence. On March 22 the company
finally sorted out the problem and the suspension
was lifted.
On May 20 and 26 the Environment Agency received
a number of complaints about a terrible smell
coming from the site. An officer visited and
described the odour as ‘like silage and vomit’.
Hinton Organics was issued with a compliance
notice, but acted swiftly to cover the waste
and so the notice was lifted.
Appearing before Wansdyke Magistrates at
Bath today, Hinton Organics pleaded guilty
to, between February and May 2004, seven offences
under the Environmental Protection Act 11000
of failing to comply with its waste management
licence.
The company was fined a total of £4,000
with £1,200 costs. The fines ranged
from £250 to £1,000 depending
on the condition contravened.
"Hinton Organics has taken up a great
deal of Environment Agency time as we pushed
for them to comply with what were straightforward
operational issues. This history of non-compliance
left us with no option but to prosecute and
to question the effective management of the
site," said David Baillie for the Environment
Agency.
"We are fully in support of any organisation
promoting recycling, but like any other business
they must adhere to important anti-pollution
legislation and show respect for their neighbours
over matters such as smells."
The Environment Agency’s free 24 hour pollution
hotline is 0800 80 70 60.
