05/05/2005 - An Environment
Agency surveillance operation on the illegal
storage of waste fridges has resulted in a
total fine of £20,000 for the company
responsible.
On the 4 May 2005 Van Dalen UK Ltd pleaded
guilty at Chesterfield magistrates to two
charges relating to it depositing and keeping
waste on land without a Waste Management Licence.
The charge was brought by the Environment
Agency under Section 33 of the Environmental
Protection Act 11000. The company was fined
£10,000 on each of the two charges and
ordered to pay £2857.00 costs.
Speaking after the case, Martin Turner, an
Environment Agency officer involved in the
investigation, said: ‘There are strict laws
governing where waste can be stored. These
are in place to protect the environment and
human health. Van Dalen chose to disregard
these, and have paid the price for this illegal
and irresponsible behaviour.’
For the Agency, Carolyn Pickering told the
court that on 2 April 2004 an Environment
Agency officer visited land on Mansfield Road,
Clowne, Derbyshire. He did this in response
to a complaint from the member of the public
concerning old fridges being stored on the
site. He found 12 fridges.
The officer returned to the site on 21 April
2004 and found 50-100 fridges being stored
there. Between 29 April 2004 and 21 May 2004,
the Environment Agency mounted a video surveillance
operation on the site where the fridges were
being stored. Activities captured on tape
included the loading of fridges and freezers
onto pallets and the dumping of fridges and
freezers from lorries.
Three Environment Agency officers attended
the site on 22 May 2004. They found approximately
130 fridges and freezers were found on hardstanding.
Two storage units were opened and both were
found to be full of fridges and freezers.
The stack of approximately 60 televisions
was also found. The owner of the land gave
an Environment Agency officer details of the
company leasing the land. This company was
Van Dalen UK Ltd. There was no Waste Management
Licence in place covering the land. Between
26 March 2004 and 25 May 2004 1700 fridges
were delivered to the site.
An inspection of the site on 17 September
2004 indicated that there were five points
were people could have accessed the site,
increasing the risk of arson.
In mitigation, the company said that this
course of action had been taken by a manager
who had subsequently been sacked. The site
was cleared of all waste in June 2004. The
company also co-operated with the Environment
Agency and pleaded guilty as early as possible.
