Tyrone
Magunda - 13-Oct-2006 - Today 13 October 2006,
Thomas Eli Toon trading as Tom Toon and Daughter
Skip Hire pleaded guilty at Coalville Magistrates
Court to two charges relating to depositing, storing
and treating waste on land without a Waste Management
Licence.
The charges were brought by
the Environment Agency under Section 33 of the
Environmental Protection Act 11000. Thomas Eli
Toon was fined £3,500 and ordered to pay
costs of £1,321.
For the Environment Agency, Dermot Scully told
the court that on 19 January 2006, an Environment
Agency officer visited the site of Tom Toon and
Daughter Skip Hire at 40-42 Brooks Lane, Whitwick,
Leicestershire. The visit was made after the Environment
Agency received reports that waste was being illegally
stored and treated on site.
On site, the Environment Agency
officer witnessed two stockpiles of mixed waste
on the ground, including waste wood, timber, wooden
door frames, plastics and insulating foams. Also
there were three skips, these skips contained
soil, clay, concrete, rubble, cardboard and plastics.
Thomas Eli Toon was instructed
by the Environment Agency officer that no further
amounts of waste were to be imported onto the
business premises, and wastes present on site
must be removed for disposal to a suitable licensed
Waste Management Facility.
Environment Agency records show
that there is a current exemption registered in
the name of Thomas Eli Toon for his business premises,
however this exemption does not allow the deposit,
storage or treatment of mixed household, industrial
or commercial wastes. A Waste Management Licence
would be required to conduct these activities,
which Thomas Eli Toon does not possess.
Speaking after the case, Mervyn
Tongue, an Environment Agency officer involved
in the investigation said: " We issue Waste
Management Licences to businesses to authorise
the keeping, treatment and disposal of controlled
wastes. These licences ensure that Waste Management
Facilities do not pollute the environment and
cause harm to human health. The Environment Agency
will prosecute businesses and individuals who
conduct waste activities without the required
and specified Waste Management Licence."
In mitigation David Anderton
told the court that the business was now in the
process of applying for a Waste Management Licence.
