EA fines waste director following permit breach
Environmental update 21/09/2011
The director of an Essex-based waste firm has been fined
following two breaches of Environmental Permitting Regulations.
Jeffery Graham Cox, director of Skip It (Essex) Ltd was
prosecuted by the Environment Agency at Harlow Magistrates’ Court
following waste offences at sites located in Brentwood and Kelvedon
Hatch.
Mr Cox operated two illegal waste sites over a period of ten
months, storing and setting alight waste including household items,
metals, rubble and paint.
Environment Agency officers visited the sites on several
occasions since April last year and alerted Mr Cox to the need to
have a waste permit. However, despite the warning, the sites
continued to operate illegally and breach permit conditions.
Mrs Sarah Nicholson, prosecuting for the Environment Agency said
that despite being informed of the breaches, ‘The bringing of
further waste onto the site seems to have been commonplace.’
Mr Cox was fined £12,500 plus costs of £5,747 after pleading
guilty to offences including the breach of Regulation 12(1)(a),
38(1)(a) and 41(1)(a) and (b) Environmental Permitting (England and
Wales) Regulations 2010.
Following the hearing, Environment Agency officer Peter Cooke
said, “We spoke and wrote to Mr Cox several times but he ignored
our advice and continued to offend.
“Unregulated waste operators pose a risk to the environment and
undermine legitimate business creating an imbalance,” added Mr
Cooke.
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