Arrests Made in Connection to Supersized Unlawful Rubbish Dump
A pair of individuals have been arrested as part of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of thousands of metric tons of refuse in a open field in Oxfordshire, England.
Authorities reported that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in connection with the huge pile of waste tipped near Kidlington.
These detentions occur a week after a prior investigation which revealed the existence of in excess of 500 unauthorized tips across England, featuring at minimum 11 so-called "super sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.
A official for the environmental agency commented that the apprehensions were for ecological and money laundering crimes and constituted a "crucial step" in ongoing inquiries. The two individuals have been released on bail.
Magnitude of the Issue
The illegal site in Kidlington, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34, is believed to house approximately 21,000 tonnes of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) tall.
This heap of waste is composed of what looks to be treated household rubbish, fragmented plastic items, Styrofoam, tyres and assorted household articles.
It constitutes just one example of 517 illegal dumps in the country, at least 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tons of rubbish. Such sites include a 280,000-tonne site in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.
The actual figure of such major locations is likely to be higher, as the regulatory agency has in the past indicated it does not hold records on tonnage for every unlawful tip.
A large proportion of sites are in countryside areas, often concealed, and on land that should be arable property.
Organised Enterprise
Law enforcement report many are run by organised crime gangs, who are generating money by charging much less than lawful companies to receive and bury rubbish.
Firms have to pay site fees to use legitimate waste facilities, based on the quantity and type of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also applied at just over £126 per ton.
Public Anger
Initial operations to remove the Kidlington area site commenced in recent weeks following worries over the potential of fire and the impact that would have on the nearby major road.
A commercial waste removal contractor has been granted the contract to handle the area over the next 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.
An enforcement officer for the government environment division commented that the authority would be seeking to recoup the remediation costs under confiscation acts from any party successfully convicted at the end of its current inquiry.
She noted that the recent arrests would help "push the probe forward" and permit authorities to "follow more leads to understand exactly what occurred and who was a party to it".
"The unauthorized dump at the site was an atrocious and intentional assault on our natural surroundings and we share the local anger at this egregious crime," she said.
A senior representative supported the detentions, adding: "The illegal dumping of garbage at the site is appalling and has resulted in considerable harm to the environment and anguish to the surrounding community.
"Our government is committed to eliminating this type of crime throughout the country, by increasing resources to combat environmental crime, hiring more personnel and implementing tougher checks and sanctions for those who flout the regulations."
The apprehensions were executed on Thursday by personnel from a regional organised crime team and follow an prior apprehension of a man in his thirties from the Surrey region in last November. He was let go awaiting further enquiries.