The Environment Agency and Kent Police Rural Task Force, were out across the Swale Area in Kent last week. They were checking vehicles carrying waste or vehicles that routinely carry waste as part of their business, to make sure their vehicles and paperwork were in order.
They stopped 8 vehicles carrying waste and issued 9 fixed penalty notices totalling £2,300. Offences included insecure load, driving without insurance, driving without a licence, driving without a seat belt and defective tyres. They also performed 2 searches under the control of pollution act.
The Environment Agency is considering appropriate enforcement action for the businesses or individuals that weren't compliant with the regulations.
Lyndsay Faulkner, Environment Manager for the Environment Agency, said:
This should serve as a warning to those who would flout the law that we and our partners will continue to search out waste crime and we won't hesitate to take action when operators are acting illegally.
To avoid giving your waste to an illegal waste carrier and it ending up at an illegal waste site, we encourage the public and businesses to ask for their waste collector's waste carrier's registration number and ask to see their waste transfer note - they must be able to produce both. We also encourage people not to pay in cash for waste collections.
Anyone who suspects illegal waste activity is reminded to report it to the Environment Agency's 24-hour hotline by calling 0800 80 70 60, or anonymously contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
You can check your waste collectors waste carriers registration on GOV.UK: Waste carriers, brokers and dealers (data.gov.uk) or call 03708 506 506.
Background
The Environment Agency was inspecting vehicles to check they had a valid waste carrier's licence. It also checked that they had a required waste transfer note describing what waste they were carrying, where they picked the waste up from and where they were taking it to.
