Environment Agency exercise tracks down illegal waste carriers
May 13, 2009
Environment Officers from the Midlands, Yorkshire and the North East Regions recently undertook a vehicle stop-and-search operation with the help of the police. The aim of the operation, as far as the Agency was concerned, was to track down illegal waste carriers.
Police officers used an automatic number plate recognition system to identify suspect vehicles at various locations around the borders of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire. The vehicles identified were then escorted to pre-determined locations where they were investigated by Environment Agency staff and others. Vehicles which were carrying waste were inspected by officers from the Environment Agency, to ascertain that they were registered as waste carriers.
The Agency inspected over 100 of the vehicles stopped by the Police. Of these, 14 were found to be registered as waste carriers already, whilst the drivers of 35 were provided with the necessary information sheets and application forms. Six vehicles were found to be carrying controlled waste without the owners having a waste carriers' licence. The owners face further investigation and could, upon conviction, face fines of up to £5000.
The Agency views this operation a success and plans to carry out similar exercises in the near future.
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