28/07/2005 - Southern
Region Leads the Way in Punishment for Environmental
Crime.
The Environment Agency has today published
its annual Spotlight report highlighting the
best and worst environmental performers in
the business world.
In the south, the Environment Agency secured
its first Anti-Social Behaviour Order for
environmental crime (ASBO).
The ASBO was imposed on a man in Kent who
was found guilty of burning skip-loads of
waste at his site in Dartford, Kent instead
of disposing of the waste legally. He was
also ordered to pay £11,445 in costs
and given 240 hours community service – one
step down from a custodial sentence.
The report includes all companies that have
been fined more than £10,000 for environmental
offences during 2004.
Howard Davidson, Regional Director of the
Environment Agency said:
"Our message to companies and individuals
who commit environmental crimes or cut corners
at the expense of the environment is that
it will not be tolerated. Where we have the
evidence we will prosecute. It is time for
businesses to put the environment at the heart
of their operations."
Companies highlighted for poor performance
in the south include:
FM Conway Ltd in Kent, fined £29,000
plus £5706 costs for dumping construction
waste on a golf course and on farm land.
Watsons Dairies in Hampshire, fined 8,000
for polluting tributary of River Meon at Mislingford
in Fareham.
Sita Southern Ltd fined 30,000 for breach
of permit conditions at Fairoak Landfill Site
in Hampshire.
Pinden Plant and Processing Ltd, fined 23,500
for illegal disposal of waste at Joyce Green
Farm in Dartford, Kent.
Skipaway Ltd, fined 18,000 for breach of licensing
conditions at Oare Creek Recycling Centre
in Faversham, Kent.
Roll On Off Services Ltd, fined £6,000
for illegal disposal of waste at Dartford
Gun Club, Kent.
But far and away the most frequently offending
companies are the water companies. In 2004
we prosecuted the water companies more than
any other industry. Seven out of the ten companies
which have paid the highest fines over the
whole year operate in the water industry.
Thames Water was fined more than any other
company with eight prosecutions leading to
a total of £132,000 in fines. Southern
Water, which operates in the Environment Agency’s
Southern Region totalled fines of £90,500
at 14 separate prosecutions.
Mr Davidson continued:
"Southern Water is by far the most frequently
prosecuted and highest fined company in our
region. The company was fined £73,200
in 2004 this rose to £90,500. We find
this poor environmental performance unacceptable
and are working closely with the company to
find ways of addressing it.
"It is worth pointing out, however,
that the report covers prosecutions in 2004.
So far in 2005, there has been a fall in the
number of pollution incidents and prosecutions."
One disappointing revelation in the report
is that average fines have fallen in the last
year. In 2003, the average fine was £9070
but in 2004 it fell to just £8624. The
Environment Agency is working with the courts
to persuade them that the fines for environmental
crime are not good enough. Fines should rise
in future given the damage and destruction
caused to our wildlife.
