13/05/2005 - A Surrey
demolition company was fined £14,000
yesterday (11 May 2005) for illegally importing
and storing white asbestos at its Addlestone
site on 13 May 2004.
Despite pleading not guilty, Woking Magistrates
court found Capital Demolition Ltd, of Capital
House, Woodham Park Road, Addlestone, Surrey,
guilty of illegally bringing the white asbestos,
known as Chrysotile, onto its site and storing
it without a waste management licence.
The court heard how the during an Environment
Agency site visit, officers discovered a 40-yard
bin containing at least six cubic metres of
what appeared to be broken asbestos sheeting
and flat cement board. Further tests have
confirmed the presence of white asbestos.
When questioned at the time, Dennis Read,
managing director of Capital Demolition Ltd,
wrongly informed officers that the storage
of the asbestos was legal as it was in line
with recent changes made to hazardous waste
regulations, which meant it was not viable
to transport small amounts of demolition asbestos.
However, no such changes in legislation have
been made, and the storage of asbestos without
a proper waste management licence breaches
Section 33(1)b of the Environmental Protection
Act 11000.
Throughout the duration of the case a number
of different explanations were offered as
to the origin of the asbestos. These included
it originating from several small jobs, and
that it had been fly-tipped at Brick Kiln
Farm, Effingham, owned by Mr Read, and he
had subsequently arranged for it to be brought
to the yard.
When interviewed on the 26 August 2004 Mr
Read failed to recall these previous explanations
and said that the asbestos was from demolishing
a small compressor housing. However, the court
heard from waste expert Graham Strange that
the demolition of the compressor housing would
have only accounted for less than a fifth
of contents of the bin.
Martin Sawyer, the Environment Agency's investigating
officer, said: "It is quite clear the
majority of the asbestos must have been imported
by the company. Capital Demolition is a well
established company who specialise in all
aspects of asbestos removal and should have
been well aware of their responsibilities
in dealing with such potentially hazardous
waste."
Companies and individuals can contact the
Environment Agency for advice and information
on waste disposal by contacting 08708 506
506. Members of the public can report environmental
incidents to the Agency's emergency hotline
on 0800 80 70 60.
