Environment Agency
work with local authority and the police
to tackle waste crime
The Environment Agency joined Allerdale
Borough Council and Cumbria Police in two
days of action to crack down on illegal
waste operators across Cumbria.
During the two days
over 80 vehicles were stopped and 15 drivers
were given information packs explaining
when and why an environmental permit may
be required. This has further enhanced understanding
and awareness of waste regulations.
Vehicles carrying controlled
waste for profit must register with the
Environment Agency. The licence costs 152
GBP and lasts for three years.
Illegal operators could be responsible for
causing damage to the environment including
fly tipping, contaminating land and causing
pollution in water courses. By not complying
with environmental regulations, they are
also benefiting from an unfair commercial
advantage compared to those companies who
take their responsibilities seriously.
Under environmental
legislation anyone who is responsible for
removing, carrying, storing or disposing
of waste as part of their business must
be registered with the Environment Agency.
This ensures that any waste is disposed
of responsibly and correctly, so that it
does not have a negative impact on the environment.
Anyone found to be carrying
controlled waste without a waste carriers
licence faces further investigation. On
conviction in the magistrates’ court, this
offence carries a fine of up to 5,000 GBP.
The Environment Agency
is call on anyone who suspects they have
witness a waste crime to call our incident
line on 0800 80 70 60.
Helen Love, Environment
Officer at the Environment Agency said,
"This work is really important in raising
peoples awareness and understanding of the
laws around the disposal of waste, not only
can you check drivers are registered but
you can also answer any questions they may
have on the subject."
Ernie Davidson, Allerdale
Borough Council’s Environmental Services
manager, said: “Businesses and individuals
are advised to ensure they are aware of
their legal duty of care for the trade waste
they produce and that they have the correct
licence. Without a waste transfer notice,
businesses could be fly-tipping waste or
using unlicensed disposal sites, which are
a nuisance or a health-risk to residents,
and which the Council has to clean up at
council tax-payers’ expense.
“Allerdale Borough Council
has a duty to ensure that businesses are
working with the Council to combat the blight
of fly tipping and make sure rubbish is
dealt with properly and responsibly. Those
that do not take up their responsibilities
by failing to have a waste carriers licence
are breaking the law and may be issued with
a fixed penalty notice of 300 GBP or face
possible court proceedings.”
PC Adrian Braniff, of
West Cumbria's Community Safety Team, said:
"We are pleased to be able to support
the Environment Agency to ensure the stop
checks were carried out safely and with
the least inconvenience to other road users.
Fly tipping is not only a crime, but also
a blight on the local community, and we
are committed to working together to target
offenders and tackle the issue."
+ More
Climate change workshops
offered to South West businesses
Nearly three months
since the Government unveiled its latest
climate change projections for the UK, a
series of free workshops are being organised
to help businesses and other organisations
in the South West to develop plans to adapt
to the challenges which climate change could
bring.
The workshops are called:
UK Climate Projections in Practice and are
being held in partnership with Defra, UK
Climate Change Impacts Partnership (UKCIP),
South West Climate Change Impacts Partnership
(SWCCIP) and Government Office for the South
West.
They are the first events of their kind
to be held anywhere in Britain.
The week of events kicks
off today with talks from Mark Filley from
Defra’s Adapting to Climate Change Unit,
Emma Whittlesea from South West Tourism
and Ron Curtis, from the Environment Agency.
More than 300 people
have already booked places across the nine
events.
The week-long series
of events will give delegates a more in-depth
understanding of the practical applications
of the Government's climate change predictions,
as set out in UKCP09.
The events will run
from Monday 14th to Friday 18th September,
at Somerset College of Arts and Technology
(SCAT) in Taunton.
In addition to a number
of open workshops, specific workshops are
being offered for local authorities, planners,
flood and coastal risk management practitioners,
and those working in nature conservation.
‘There are also nine
sessions that will provide detailed training
on how to develop business opportunities
out of climate change. In the UK we are
likely to face hotter, drier summers and
warmer, wetter winters and more extreme
weather events such as flooding, drought
and heat waves,’ said Alex Webb, SWCCIP
Manager.
‘We've all got to learn
to adapt to climate change. For businesses,
it should be seen as a vital part of on
going business continuity planning. These
events will enable businesses in the South
West to get expert advice from some of the
leading experts on climate change.’
In the South West, some of the key findings
of UKCP09 are:
* By the 2080s, the
average summer temperature in the South
West could be 3.5 degrees Celsius warmer.
* But the temperature
of the hottest day of the year could increase
by up to 10 degrees Celsius by 2080.
* 2050 there could be
19 per cent less rainfall in the summer
leading to subsidence, lower crop yields
and water stress
* However, there could
be 17 per cent more rainfall in the winter
leading to increased winter flooding, transport
disruption and risks to urban drainage
